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THE    UNIVERSITY  OF/TEXAS 

NO.  311 


ISSUED  SIX  TIMES  A  MONTH 


EXTENSION  SERIES  NO.  41 


JANUARY  22,  1914 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics 

Care    of   the  Body,   Playground    Games   and   Equipment, 
Athletic  Contests,  Organization  of  Meets,  Leagues,  etc. 


BY 

A.  J.  ROBINSON, 

Director  of  Interscholastic  Athletics 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 

Entered  as  second  class  mail  matter  at  the  postoffice  at  Austin,  Texas 


351-11 13-3m-4409 


BULLETIN 

OF 

THE    UNIVERSITY   OF  TEXAS 


NO.  311 

ISSUED  SIX  TIMES  A  MONTH 


EXTENSION  SERIES  NO.  41 


JANUARY  22,  1914 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics 

Care    of    the   Body,   Playground    Games   and    Equipment, 
Athletic  Contests,  Organization  of  Meets,  Leagues,  etc. 


BY 
A.  J.  ROBINSON, 

Director  of  Interscholastic  Athletics 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 

Entered  as  second  class  mail  matter  at  the  postomce  at  Austin.  Texas 


CONTENTS 

Page. 

Preface 5 

To  the  Teacher    7 

Organizing  for  Interscholastic  Contests   8 

How  Teachers   '^an  Help    10 

Training  for  a  Track  Team   11 

Care  of  the  Body   11 

Running 13 

Jumping    16 

Pole   Vault    17 

The  Shot  Put 18 

The  Hammer 18 

The  Discus 19 

The   Baseball   Throw    19 

The  Three-Legged  Race 19 

Potato  Race    20 

Single  Relay   21 

Shuttle  Relay    21 

Potato  Shuttle  Relay   21 

All-up  Relay 21 

Pass  Ball  Relay 23 

Tug-of-War    23 

Chinning    23 

The  Training  of  Young  Athletes,  by  F.  W.  ("Tex")  Ramsdell.  24 

Competitive  Games .  31 

Volley  Ball    31 

End  Ball   33 

Captain  Ball   33 

Basket  Ball    34 

Boundary  Ball    35 

Corner  Ball   35 

Pass  and  Goal  Ball 36 

Football    36 

Baseball   37 

Tennis    38 

Athletics  for  Girls.  .  39 


4  Contents 

Page. 

Group-Average  Contests 41 

Boys'  Division    43 

Girls'  Division   , 44 

Athletic  Badge  Test  for  Boys 47 

Athletic  Badge  Test  for  Girls 48 

A  Few  Athletic  Terms  Denned 49 

Laying  Off  An  Athletic  Field 50 

Equipment  for  Athletic  Meets 52 

Conduct  of  An  Athletic  Meet 54 

For  a  County  League 54 

Model  Constitution  for  a  School  Athletic'  Association 58 

Playground  Equipment   61 

References   .  (>3 


PREFACE 

This  Bulletin  is  primarily  for  assisting  members  of  the  Uni- 
versity Interscholastic  League  in  the  organization  and  conduct  of 
athletic  contests,  in  training  for  the  same,  and  in  matters  of  phys- 
ical education-  and  playground  activities  generally.  The  Consti- 
tution of  the  League  provides  for  county  and  district  contests  and 
a  final  meet  in  athletics,  as  well  as  contests  in  debate  and  decla- 
mation. Many  teachers,  especially  in  rural  schools,  have  had  no 
training  in  organized  play  and  athletics,  and  consequently  hesi- 
tate to  enter  their  schools  in  the  contests.  This  Bulletin  is  de- 
signed to  aid  such  teachers,  as  well  as  the  pupils.  The  detailed 
rules  governing  regular  track  athletics  are  given  in  the  Bulletin 
containing  the  Constitution  of  the  League,  hence  they  are  not 
repeated  here. 

The  annual  membership  fee  for  each  school  in  the  League  is 
$1.00.  This  fee  should  be  sent  to  E.  D.  Shurter,  Chairman,  or 
to  A.  J.  Eobinson,  Treasurer,  University  Station,  Austin,  Texas. 
Payment  of  the  fee  entitles  a  school  to  enter  both  the  public 
speaking  and  the  athletic  contests,  and  to  receive  loan  libraries 
land  the  special  bulletins  prepared  for  the  assistance  of  schools  in 
training  for  the  contests. 

.Besides  this  Bulletin,  each  member  of  the  League  will  receive 
free  four  copies  of  Bulletin  291  on  Compulsory  Education  and 
also  one  or  more  copies  of  Bulletin  292,  on  Literary  Societies, 
Debating,  etc.  A  copy  of  Bulletin  274,  containing  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  League,  will  be  sent  on  request  to  anv  person  in 
the  State. 


IMPORTANCE  OF  PHYSICAL  EDUCATION 

To  the  Teacher: 

You  are  acquainted,  doubtless,  with  the  present-day  crusade  in 
behalf  of  physical  education.  It  is  not'  a  fad,  but  a  serious-minded 
effort  on  the  part  of  educators  and  leaders  the  country  over  to 
stave  off  what  ex-President  Chas.  W.  Eliot  of  Harvard  University 
says  is  the  gravest  danger  which  threatens  us  as  a  nation — the 
dissipation  of  our  physical  energies.  Educators  are  agreed  that 
the  nation  of  the  future  will  be  the  one  which  takes  the  most  in- 
telligent care  of  the  body.  The  more  complex  our  civilization  be- 
comes, the  greater  the  nervous  strain  under  which  people  have 
to  live;  hence  the  more  urgent  it  is  that  we  do  something  to  make 
the  nervous  organism  more  capable  of  enduring  the  strain.  Physi- 
cians are  stressing  the  point  that  the  best  way  to  check  tubercu- 
losis, typhoid,  and  similar  diseases,  is  to  build  up  the  lungs, 
heart,  and  general  vitality  while  young.  Any  scheme  of  educa- 
tion, therefore,  or  any  school,  which  neglects  the  bodies  of  its 
pupils,  fails  in  the  most  important  matter  of  all.  The  aim  of 
education,  nowadays,  is  to  make  men  and  women  efficient;  to 
make  them  capable  of  doing  useful  work  well  and  to  take  pleasure 
in  so  doing.  They  will  find  this  impossible,  in  the  long  run, 
however  well  trained  they  may  be  in  other  respects,  unless"  they 
are  efficient  physically.  This  aside  from  the  equally  vital  consid- 
eration that  the  physical  capital  of  the  children  of  today  must  be 
conserved  if  the  children  of  the  next  generation,  or  the  next,  are 
not  to  be  physically  bankrupt. 

Physical  education  has  many  phases,  but  most  of  them  are  sub- 
served by  intelligent  use  of  play  and  athletics.  In  fact,  these  are 
the  two  chief  directions  which  the  growing  movement  for  more 
careful  physical  training  has  taken. 

ATHLETICS    AND    EDUCATION 

Of  course,  there  are  many  abuses,  or  have  been,  connected  with 
athletics;  but  that  is  all  the  more  reason  why  teachers  should 
unite  in  efforts  to  direct  and  control  athletics,  to  the  end  that 
these  abuses  may  be  reduced  to  a  minimum.  Rightly  conducted, 
the  various  events  can  be  made  conducive  to  health  in  many  ways. 
Not  only  does  the  athlete  profit  by  the  exercise  he  gets  and  by  the 
power  of  endurance  which  he  develops  while  in  training,  but  he 
profits  also  by  the  habits  of  cleanliness,  of  regular  sleep,  and  of 
care  in  eating  and  drinking,  which  he  finds  he  must  cultivate  in 
order  to  win  in  the  various  events.  One  caution  I  wish  to  make 
right  here,  and  that  is,  that  you  do  not  over-emphasize  the  im- 


8  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

portance  of  winning.  Seek  rather  to  get  the  boys  to  take  part  in 
the  contests  for  the  fun  there  is  in  them;  and  seek  also  to  enlist 
all  the  pupils  in  your  school  in  some  form  of  outdoor  athletics. 
To  this  'end,  make  use  of  the  contests  described  in  this  Bulletin 
for  the  highest  class-average  standing,  the  all-round  athletic 
badge  contests,  and  miscellaneous  games  and  playground  activi- 
ties. Correspondence  is  invited  upon  any  phase  of  playground 
activities,  or  playground  direction  and  equipment.  When  possi- 
ble, the  University  director  of  interscholastic  athletics  will  on  re- 
quest visit  a  school  and  help  to  get  things  started.  Books  from 
the  Loan  Library  on  Physical  Training  may  be  had  on  request  by 
members  of  the  Leagues 

NECESSITY    FOR    DIRECTED    PLAY 

This  matter  of  play  for  all  the  children  of  a  school  has  other 
important  aspects  besides  that  of  physical  education.  It  has  been 
said  that  if  a  child  is  not  given  the  opportunity  to  play,  it  cannot 
grow  up  into  a  man  or  woman  at  all.  Certain  it  is  that  if  the 
child  does  not  get  to  play  under  desirable  conditions  the  chances 
are  it  will  find  a  place  in  undesirable  environment — in  the  back 
alley,  the  back  yard  of  a  pool  hall,  or  somewhere  or  other  with 
harmful  rather  than  helpful  results.  Especially  in  the  rural  com- 
munities is  this  important,  for  outside  of  their  school  life  the 
children  there  do  not  get  much  chance  to  be  together  in  play. 
Boys  on  the  farm  do  not  need  as  much  attention  to  their  physical 
training  as  city  boys  need;  but  they  need,  more  than  do  city  boys, 
the  stimulus  of  games  to  arouse  their  ambition  and  to  reveal  to 
them  their  powers.  They  need  also,  very  much,  the  lessons  of 
team  work,  of  leadership,  and  other  social  virtues,  which  other- 
wise they  have  so  little  opportunity  to -develop. 

ORGANIZING   FOR    INTERSCHOLASTIC    CONTESTS 

If,  in  addition  to  the  inter-class  games  and  individual  contests 
among  the  pupils,  you  have  also  interscholastic  contests,  whether 
it  is  baseball,  track  athletics,  or  any  other  sport,  the  first  thing 
to  do  is  to  organize  by  drawing  up  a  set  of  rules  to  govern,  and 
have  these  rules  made  known  not  only  to  the  pupils  but  to  the 
parents  and  to  the  school  with  whom  you  intend  to  have  athletic 
relations.  Some  things  to  bear  in  mind  are: 

(a)  Draw   up    strict   eligibility   rules,    requiring    a   minimum 
attendance  and  scholarship  record  of  all  boys  on  the  team. 

(b)  Decide  in  advance  as  to  the  number  of  games,  together 
with  dates  where  possible.     As  a  rule,  it  is  not  best  to  jplay  many 
games  during  a  season. 

(c)  Have  a  card  for  each  pupil,  something  like  the  following: 


/'/ii/sical  Training  and  Athletics  9 

Public  School 

Registration  Card  for  Athletics  and  Games. 

\anio 

Birth (Day) (Month) (Year) 

My  son  or  daughter  (mark  out  one)  has  my  permission  to  take 
part  in  the  following  athletic  events,  under  the  supervision  of  the 

school : 

(Write  yes  or  no  after  each.) 

Running Jumping Putting  Shot 

Baseball Hammer,  etc 

Football Basket  Ball Tennis 

End  Ball Captain  Ball Goal  Ball 

(Signed) 

(Parent  or  Guardian.) 

(Reverse  side  of  card.) 

Xnmber .Date 

Name Sex 

Grade Scholarship   standing.  . : 

Events  prohibited   

Competed 

Age Weight Height 

Any   physical  defects  tending  to   make  participation   in   athletics 

harmful    ._ 

Permission  to  enter  given  by  Principal 

(e)  Appoint  capable  students  as  your  assistants  to  look  after 
various  ends  of  the  management,  but  hold  them  strictly  responsi- 
ble, and  have  each  to  make  out  a  written  report  at  the  end  of 
the   season.     One   student  may  be   your   clerk,    one  the   ground- 
keeper,   one  the  press   agent,  one  the  entertainment  manager  to 
help  you  look  after  certain  supplementary  features  connected  with 
a   contest,   especially  the   entertainment  of  visiting   teams.     This 
last  feature  should  never  be  neglected. 

(f)  Have  a  definite  plan  as  to  time  and  place  of  practising, 
and  see  to  it  that  practice  is  regular,  that  it  is  not  too  long,  and 
that  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  other  school  work.     Emphasize 
the  importance  of  this  point,  and  after  insisting  on  the  business- 
like conduct  of  practice,  give  credit  to  pupils  who  do  this  work 
satisfactorily,  just  as  you  would  give  credit  for  any  other  school 
work.    'If  it  is  worth  the  teacher's  time  and  that  of  the  pupils 
to  practice  regularly  and  systematically  for  athletic  events,  then 
pupils  deserve  credit  for  it  just  as  much  as  for  satisfactory  work 
in  arithmetic  or  geography. 


10  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

HOW    TEACHERS    CAN    HELP 

How  can  teachers  help  in  developing  play  and  athletics  along 
right  lines?  They  can  help,  first,  by  giving  some  attention  to 
the  study  of  the  subject,  by  reading  one  or  two  good  books,  such 
as  Sargent's  Physical  Education,  until  they  have  an  adequate  con- 
ception of  the  various  problems  involved. 

They  can  help,  secondly,  by  learning  a  number  of  games  and 
teaching  them  to  the  children;  by  trying  to  become,  to  the  best 
of  their  ability,  the  real  play-leader  of  all  the  children.  They 
can  also  learn,  very  easily,  a  few  elementary  points  on  track  ath- 
letics or  other  competitive  contests,  and  encourage  the  contestants 
to  train  properly. 

They  can  help,  thirdly,  by  enlisting  the  active  assistance  of 
some  individual  in  the  community  who  has  had  experience  in 
athletics,  and  especially  by  enlisting  the  co-operation  of  parents. 
Wiith  full  understanding  of  each  other's  aims  and  viewpoints, 
parents  and  teachers  may  do  away  with  most  of  the  evils  attend- 
ing athletic  contests. 

They  can  help,  finally,  by  insisting  upon  gentlemanly  conduct 
on  the  part  of  players,  and  helping  the  players  to  take  a  proper 
view  of  honor  in  athletics.  They  can  get  in  touch  with  other 
teachers,  and  co-operate  with  them  in  promoting  friendly  rela- 
tions between  contesting  teams.  They  can  thus  do  much  to  teach 
their  pupils  to  take  defeat  manfully,  to  play  the  game  fairly,  and 
to  treat  officials  with  proper  respect.  There  seems  to  be  a  general 
looseness  among  the  schools,  in  this  particular,  and  it  is  a  point 
which  needs  very  great  attention.  If  our  athletic  contests  pro- 
mote hostility  rather  than  friendliness  between  the  contesting 
teams,  it  is  perhaps  better  not  to  have  them.  There  is  no  good 
reason,  however,  why  this  should  be  the  case.  With  united  effort 
on  the  part  of  teachers,  where  the  spirit  of  true  sportsmanship 
prevails  among  them,  it  will  not  be  the  case.  But  it  is  impossible 
to  cultivate  true  sportsmanship  among  the  pupils,  if  teachers  them- 
selves do  not  possess  it.  Every  effort  should  be  made  to  treat 
visiting  teams  as  real  guests,  and  to  make  the  conditions  of  the 
contests  just  as  favora'ble  for  them  as  for  the  home  team.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  visiting  team  should  be  encouraged  to  accept  what 
they  get  without  complaint,  and  not  to  be  too  ready  to  suspect 
officials  or  others  of  unfairness.  It  is  only  by  co-operation  among 
teachers  and  other  officials  along  these  lines  that  many  of  the 
worst  evils  now  attending  interscholastic  contests  will  ever  be 
destroyed. 


TRAINING  FOR  A  TRACK  TEAM 

DANGER    OF    OVER-EXERTIOX    AND    EARLY    SPECIALIZING 

In  the  first  place,  boys  under  fourteen  or  fifteen  should  not 
•enter  for  long  runs  or  weight  events.  If  they  do,  the  strain  and 
over-exertion  are  likely  to  cause  permanent  injury.  Specializing 
too  early  is  bound  to  have  a  bad  effect  on  the  body.  The  body  is 
no  stronger  than  its  weakest  part,  and  if  blood  and  nutriment 
which  should  belong  to  one  part  of  the  body  is  repeatedly  taken 
by  another  part  on  which  a  special  strain  is  laid,  that  part  which 
was  robbed  of  its  share  is  bound  to  become  weakened  in  the  long 
run,  and  thus  produce  disease  or  disability.  Even  the  older  class  of 
high  school  boys  sum  clinics  over-train  or  over-exert  themselves  in 
these  severe  tests.  The  great  athlete  whose  advice  on  training  is 
given  elsewhere  in  this  Bulletin  never  did  any  special  training 
until  he  was  grown.  But  he  laid  the  foundation  for  later  per- 
formances by  building  up  a  strong  body.  If,  while  a  boy,  he  had 
taken  up  one  vicious  habit,  such  as  smoking  two  or  three  cigarettes 
daily,  he  would  never  have  become  a  famous  sprinter  and  football 
star. 

CARE    OF    THE    BODY 

The  care  of  the  body  is  the  all-important  thing.  To  win  con- 
tests, the  body  must  be  kept  in  condition.  That  means  attention 
to  the  following  essentials  of  health : 

(a)  Food  and  Drink. — In  matters  of  food,  every  one  must  be 
his  own  physician,  to  a  certain  extent.  What  is  good  for  one 
may  not  be  good  for  another.  You  should  find  out  what  agrees 
with  you  and  what  does  not,  and  eat  accordingly.  Do  not  be 
afraid  to  eat  plenty  of  good  food,  although  you  may  find  that  a 
little  dieting  will  do  you  good,  especially  before  a  contest.  If  you 
are  troubled  with  indigestion,  dieting  will  aid  nature,  but  dieting 
will  not  remove  fat,  as  some  people  suppose.  It  takes  exercise  to 
do  that. 

To  promote  good  digestion,  avoid  an  undue  amount  of  pastry 
and  sweets.  Avoid  also  an  excessive  meat  diet.  Be  agreeable  at 
the  table.  Avoid  any  unpleasantness  anywhere,  but  especially  at 
the  table.  Do  not  eat  wlien  tired,  and  avoid  any  hard  work,  either 
mental  or  physical,  directly  after  eating.  Do  not  eat  hastily,  nor 
at  all  times  of  the  day  or  night.  Be  regular,  and  take  your  time. 
If  you  are  troubled  with  biliousness,  it  is  probably  due  to  over- 
eating, or  the  consumption  of  animal  fats  that  aie  difficult  to 
digest.  A  good  remedy  is  to  change  your  diet,  and  _not  eat  so 
much.  Learn  from  the  text-book  on  physiology  and  hygiene  the 
various  food  values  of  different  articles  of  diet,  such  as  brain  food, 


12  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

heat-producing  food,  and  muscle-producing  food,  and  then  try  to 
suit  your  diet  to  include  the  better  classes  of  each  kind  of  food, 
including  more  of  the  kind  which  you  seem  to  stand  most  in 
need  of. 

As  to  drinking,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  anything  about  intoxi- 
cants, when  every  child  knows  their  injurious  effects.  Generally 
speaking,  coffee  and  tea  would  better  be  left  alone,  if  one  wishes 
to  make  a  strong,  healthy,  long-lived  man  or  woman.  But  some 
people  do  not  seem  to  have  any  trouble  from  these  stimulants, 
when  taken  moderately.  It  is  safe  to  say,  however,  that  for  a 
growing  boy  or  girl  coffee  and  tea  will  do  no  good  and  will  be 
likely  to  do  .much  harm,  especially  if  one  engages  in  athletic  con- 
tests where  strong  hearts  and  steady  nerves  are  required.  Most 
of  the  drinks  sold  at  soda  fountains  are  not  injurious  in  them- 
selves, but  they  are  very  injurious  when  taken  to  excess,  as  is  too 
often  the  case.  A  glass  of  water  before  breakfast  will  be  found 
a  fine  thing  for  the  digestion.  As  to  drinking  cold  water,  milk, 
etc.,  opinions  differ,  but  the  majority  are  against  drinks  that  are 
more  than  moderately  cold.  A  cold  drink  may  not  harm  a 
stomach  of  strong  vitality  but  may  do  much  harm  to  one  of  low 
vitality.  Contestants  often  drink  too  much  cold  water  during  a 
contest.  This  is  very  bad,  not  only  for  its  permanent  effect,  but 
it  renders  the  contestant  incapable  of  putting  forth  his  best  effort 
at  the  time. 

A  word  should  be  said  about  tobacco,  especially  cigarettes.  You 
have  read  in  the  text-book  and  you  have  heard  people  preach  to 
you  about  the  harm  of  cigarettes,  but  did  it  ever  come  home  to 
you?  You  are  now  thinking  of  trying  for  the  track  team.  You 
know,  and  everybody  knows,  that  cigarettes  weaken  the  heart. 
You  know,  also,  that  to  win  where  there  is  much  competition,  you 
must  have  a  strong  heart.  What  will  you  do?  Continue  to  use 
cigarettes,  or  be  sensible,  self-respecting  and  manly,  and  "cut  them 
out"?  It  is  up  to  you. 

(b)  Exercise,  and  Rest. — Most  boys  in  our  State  outside  of  the 
larger  cities,  get  enough  exercise  in  a  general  way.  But  quan- 
tity alone  will  never  accomplish  the  best  results.  Suppose  you 
have  a  hard  day's  physical  labor  before  you.  You  have  had  such 
tasks  before,  and  you  were  tired,  worn-out,  when  you  were  through. 
Now  try  it  this  way:  Start  in  a  little  slowly,  in  a  playful  spirit. 
Then  ginger  up,  and  work  with  a  will,  harder  and  harder,  but 
still  in  a  playful  spirit.  After  some  time  at  this  rate,  stop.  Throw 
3rourself  on  the  ground,  with  something  over  you  if  handy,  and 
relax  for  five  minutes.  Then  go  at  it  again,  harder  than  ever, 
for  an  hour,  then  rest  again.  Just  before  dinner,  go  through  a 
five-minutes'  exercise  of  swinging  the  arms,  bending  over,  and 
other  gymnastics,  and  repeat  this  just  before  going  to  work  after 
dinner.  At  the  end  of  the  day,  sprint  for  a  hundred  yards.  You 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  13 

will  find  that  you  ha.ve  done  more  work,  and  are  feeling  better, 
than  when  you  pegged  away  without  interruption  all  day  long  at 
an  ordinary  clip. 

This  applies  to  athletic  exercise  also.  Take  it  easy  at  first. 
Then  put  life  into  }^our  efforts,  and  will.  Then  stop,  and  rest,  or 
do  something  different.  Put  the  play  spirit  into  your  work  and 
the  work  spirit  into  your  play.  Exercise  with  a  will.  Stop  short 
of  fatigue.  Vary  exercise  frequently,  and  see  that  each  part  of 
the  body  gets  its  share. 

(c)  Bathing. — Always  follow  vigorous  exercise  with  a  .sponge 
bath,  in  cold  water  if  you  are  of  high  vitality  and  in  Lukewarm 
water  if  your  vitality  is  low.     Another  time  for  a  cold  bath  is 
immediately  on  rising  in  the  morning.     Always  follow  a  cold  bath 
with  a  brisk  rub  down,  especially  if  yon  are  going  out  in  the  open 
air.     Do  notTaKe  a  hot  bath  too  often,  but  a  good  hot  bath  once 
a  week,  taken  just  before  retiring,  is  necessary  to  cleanse  the  skin 
thoroughly. 

(d)  Clothing. — Dress,   as   far   as   you    can,   according   to   the 
weather  and  what  you  are  doing.    While  practising  or  competing 
in  athletics,  always  put  on  a  sweater  or  coat  the  moment  you  cease 
perspiring.     This  will  keep  your  muscles  from  getting  chilled  and 
keep  them  in  good  condition.     Sore  arms  and  legs  are  caused  many 
times  from  failure  to  observe  this  simple  rule.     Especially  in  the 
winter  months,  take  care  not  to  get  unduly  exposed  to  cold  winds 
after  a  work-out. 

RUNNING 

A  sprint  is  a  race  at  full  speed  from  start  to  finish.  All  races 
up  to  the  quarter,  arid  in  most  cases  it  too,  are  now  run  as  sprints. 
In  sprinting,  we  must  pay  attention  to  (a)  the  start,  (b)  getting 
into  the  stride,  (c)  acquiring  staying  power. 

THE    START    IN  ,  SPRINTING 

When  a  sprint  race  is  called,  dig  two  holes  for  your  feet,  one 
about  six  inches  back  of  the  starting  line,  the  other  about  eighteen 
inches 'back,  and  a  little  to  one  side.  The  latter  hole  should  be 
deeper,  and  steep  so  as  to  give  a  good  brace  for  the  ball  of  the 
foot, 

At  the  command  of  the  starter,  "On  your  marks,"  place  your 
feet  in  the  holes,  with  your  fingers  on  the  line.  One  knee  should 
be  about  opposite  the  instep  of  the  other  foot.  At  th6  command, 
"Get  set,"  place  yourself  in  a  springing  position,  with  hips  raised, 
arms  straight,  head  up  and  bod}'  leaning  forward.  Distribute 
your  weight  evenly  on  both  feet,  with  a  little  on  the  fingers. 
Weight  should  be  on  balls  of  feet.  Take  a  deep  breath.  Con- 
centrate all  your  attention  on  your  spring.  At  the  crack  of  the 
pistol,  spring  forward  with  all  the  force  on  both  feet.  Do  not 


14  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

straighten  up  at  once,,  but  do  so  gradually,  within  three  or  four 
paces. 

Get  into  y our  stride  as  quickly  as  possible,  always  looking 
straight  ahead.  Take  only  one  or  two  breaths  in  a  short  print. 
One  breath  should  carry  you  from  thirty  to  fifty  yards.  Do  not 
let  up  at  the  tape,  but  dash  into  it,  hands  up,  at  top  speed  as  if 
you  had  ten  yards  more  to  go. 

Incline  your  body  slightly  forward,  but  not  too  much.  Keep 
your  head  up,  chin  somewhat  forward.  Do  not  raise  heels  too 
high,  but  the  instant  feet  are  up,  bring  them  forward,  legs  always 
in  a  straight  line.  Raise  your  knees  well  in  front,  but  not  too 
soon,  as  this  will  shorten  your  stride.  Point  your  toes  straight 
ahead,  and  hit  the  ground  hard  at  each  bound.  Do  not  force 
your  stride  longer  than  it  is  naturally.  If  you  keep  good  form,  it 
will  lengthen  itself. 

In  the  220  yards  dash,  you  may  hold  back  just  a  little  for  the 
final  effort,  if  you  don't  get  too  far  behind. 

J^ever  run  a  race  without  dancing  around  and  warming  up. 
Take  several  deep  breaths  just  before  going  to  your  marks.  In 
practice,  never  run  the  full  distance  at  top  speed  at  first.  The 
following  is  a  good  plan  to  follow  in  practice  for  the  shorter 
dashes: 

Monday. — Practise  the  start  five  times.  Do  not  run  at  full 
speed  more  than  20  yards.  Take  a  short  rest  after  each  start. 
Take  an  easy  jog  for  50  or  60  yards,  and  finish  the  100  yards  fast. 

Tuesday. — Take  300  or  400  yards  at  an  easy  jog. 

Wednesday. — Practise  the  start  three  times.  Rest,  then  run  50 
yards  full  speed.  Rest,  and  run  60  yards  full  speed. 

Thursday. — Practise  starting  six  or  eight  times.  Take  300 
yards  at  an  easy  jog. 

Friday. — Go  80  yards  at  full  speed.  Rest,  then  go  50  yards  at 
speed.  Jog  100  yards. 

Saturday. — Practise  the  start  twice.  Run  100  yards  at  speed. 
Rest,  then  jog  200  yards. 

For  the  quarter  mile  run,  use  the  crouching  start  as  in  the 
shorter  sprints.  In  the  half-mile  and  mile  runs,  start  from  an 
upright  position. 

Points  in  the  rules  for  runners  to  remember  are: 

(a)  As  soon  as  you  go  to  the  track,  get  a  program,  and  get 
your  number  and  pin  it  on  you. 

(b)  At  starting,  if  any  part  of  your  body  touches  the  ground 
in  front  of  the  line  before  the  signal  is  given,  it  is  a  foul  and  the 
offender  is  punished  by  being  set  back  a  yard  or  more  for  each 
offense. 

(c)  The  finish  of  a  race  is  the  whitewash  line  on  the  ground, 
and  not  the  tape  stretched  above  it.    A  race  is  not  finished  till  the 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  15 

runner  readies  this  line.     To  avoid  striking  the  tape  with  your 
hands  or  arms,  throw  them  up  as  you  finish. 

(d)  In  races  on  a  straight  track,  each   runner  has  his  own 
lane,  and  he  must  not  cross  into  another's  lane  or  interfere  with 
him  in  any  way.     To  do  so  is  a  foul. 

(e)  In  races  on  a  circular  track,  you  must  not  cross  in  front 
of  another  runner  till  you  are  at  least  two  strides  ahead  of  him. 
To  do  so  is  a  foul.     You  must  not  run  into  or  otherwise  interfere 
with  another  runner. 

RELAY    RACES 

The  relay  races  ordinarily  run  by  select  teams  of  school  boys 
are  the  mile  and  the  half-mile  relays,  with  four  boys  on  each 
team,  each  boy  in  the  mile  relay  running  a  quarter  mile  and  each 
boy  in  the  half-mile  relay  running  220  yards.  But  a  relay  race 
may  be  run  with  any  number  of  boys  competing  provided  the  same 
number  is  on  each  team,  and  the  distance  for  each  runner  may 
vary  from  30  yards  to  a  quarter  mile. 

Suppose  it  is  a  half-mile  relay,  with  four  on  each  team,  and 
suppose  there  are  four  teams.  The  teams  draw  for  places.  The 
other  runners  of  a  team  must  keep  the  same  positions  at  the  start 
that  the  first  runner  had.  The  first  runner  on  each  team  carries 
a  stick  or  flag,  which  he  must  hand  to  the  second  runner  at  his 
finish  line.  The  second  runner  must  wait  at  the  finish  of  the  first 
220  yards  to  receive  the  stick ;  he  cannot  run  back  to  meet  the 
first  runner.  He  in  turn  must  hand  it  to  the  third  runner  at  the 
finish  of  the  next  220  yards,  and  so  on.  The  team  whose  last 
runner  first  reaches  the  finish  line  with  the  stick  is  the  winner. 

This  race  can  be  easily  run  with  a  very  large  number  of 
boys  on  each  team,  and  it  is  always  very  interesting  to  the  spec- 
tators. If  theje  is  to  be  a  handicap  for  any  team,  the  whole  dis- 
tance allowed  is  allowed  at  the  start  of  the  race. 

HURDLE    RACES 

The  hurdle  race  commonly  run  by  school  boys  is  the  120  yards 
low  hurdles.  The  hurdles,  'ten  in  number,  are  30  inches  high, 
and  are  placed  10  yards  apart,  the  first  and  last,  ones  being  15 
yards  from  the  start  and  the  finish,  respectively.  Hurdle  racing 
requires  a  great  deal  of  speed  as  well  as  jumping  ability  and 
endurance.  It  is  one  of  the  most  trying  of  all  athletic  events, 
and  for  that  reason  should  not  be  run  except  by  robust  boys. 

The  easiest,  but  not  the  fastest  way  to  clear  the  hurdle  is  to 
swing  the  left  foot  inward  nearly  parallel  with  the  hurdle.  If 
your  legs  are  long  enough,  quicker  time  can  be  made  by  keeping 
the  leg  straight.  JPractisc  with  one  hurdle  until  you  can  clear  it 
in  proper  form  without  slacking  your  speed.  Face  the  hurdle 
squarely,  and  take  it  at  top  speed.  As  you  go  over,  throw  your 


16  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

weight  forward,  pointing  the  front  leg  out  and  down,  and  keep 
your  foot  pointed  straight  ahead  as  you  alight.  Learn  to  hit  your 
stride  instantly  on  reaching  ground,  making  the  first  step  short. 
Keep  your  body  well  balanced  over  the  leg  as  you  descend.  When 
you  have  learned  one  hurdle  well,  and  not  before,  try  two,  then 
three,,  then  all  of  them.  The  right  form  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, and  unless  you  are  willing  to  take  the  patience  to  prac- 
tice faithfully,  you  will  never  he  a  good  hurdler.  Eemember  the 
three  main  points:  (1)  to  take  each  hurdle  at  top  speed,  and 
facing  it,  (2)  to  throw  the  body  forward  and  point  the  front  leg 
somewhat,  out  in  front  as  you  go  over,  and  (3)  to  hit  the  ground 
with  the  weight  well  on  the  first  foot  so  that  the  second  foot  can 
instantly  take  a  short  step  and  you  can  hit  your  full  speed  at  once. 

A  hurdler  needs  an  especially  strong  body,  besides  speed.  The 
muscles  of  the  neck,  abdomen,  and  hips  and  legs  should  be  strong, 
and  also  the  arms.  These  may  be  strengthened  by  special  gym- 
nastic exercises. 

The  hurdler  must  remember,  (1)  not  to  knoc-k  the  hurdles  over, 
(2)  not  to  step  on  top  of  them. 

RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP 

In  this  event  it  is  very  important  to  practise  the  run  until  you 
know  just  the  right  distance  to  get  the  take-off.  You  must  not 
rise  too  near  the  bar,  for  that  will  throw  you  into  it,  and  if  you 
rise  too  far  back  you  will  not  go  over  it  at  your  greatest  height. 
Speed  is  not  necessary,  nor  is  a  long  run.  It  is  best  to  approach 
the  bar  straight  in  front  and  to  make  the  last  step  short  and 
quick,  as  in  the  running  broad  jump.  As  you  rise,  say  on  the 
left  foot,  throw  the  right  leg  up  in  front  parallel  with  the  bar 
and  close  to  the  body,  swinging  the  arms  up  and  out.  As  you  go 
over  the  bar,  the  body  should  be  in  a  horizontal  position,  the  left 
leg  being  brought  up  and  over  the  bar  with  a  twist  of  the  body 
and  an  upward  swing  of  the  left  arm. 

STANDING   HIGH    JUMP 

The  feet  must  not  leave  the  ground  but  once  in  an  attempt. 
If  so,  it  counts  as  a  trial  without  result.  Throw  the  body  up  side- 
wise  to  the  bar,  and  throw  the  right  leg  over  the  bar  first.  Then 
as  the  body  goes  over,  swing  the  left  leg  up  and  over.  As  in  the 
running  high  jump,  do  not  keep  the  body  in  an  upright  position, 
for  that  would  require  strength  to  be  used  that  would  otherwise 
help  in  lifting  the  rest  of  the  body  over  the  bar.  As  the  body 
goes  over,  it  should  be  in  a  horizontal  position-. 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  17 

RUXXIXG    BROAD    JUMP 

There  should  be  a  take-off  board,  2  inches  by  4  inches  by  2 
feet,  flush  with  the  ground,  and  the  earth  should  be  dug  out  3 
inches  dee])  for. 2  square  feet  in  front.  The  jump  ^is  measured 
from  the  take-off,  and  not  from  where  the  jumper  rose.  Hence 
you  must  practise  until  you  rise'  easily  from  the  take-off.  If  you 
step  over  it,  it  is  a  trial  without  result,  and  if  you  rise  back  of 
it,  you  lose  that  much  distance.  The  jump  is  measured  to  the 
nearest  mark  made  by  any  part  of  the  jumper's  body.  This  re- 
quires you  to  keep  your  balance  and  not  fall  or  jump  backward, 
on  alighting. 

Do  not  run  too  far;  about  fifteen  paces  is  far  enough.  Practise 
till  you  have  the  strides  down  so  that  you  will  rise  at  the  take-off. 
To  get  momentum,  speed  is  very  important,  and  should  be  great- 
est about  nine  or  ten  paces  from  the  take-off.  Just  before  reach- 
ing the  take-off,  you  should  slacken  your  speed  so  as  to  throw 
your  effort  into  your  spring.  The  last  step  should  not  be  long, 
but  should  be  short  and  quick.  Throw  the  body  up  and  forward,- 
swinging  the  arms  up  and  forward  also.  Bring  the  knees  well 
up,  and  "do  not  let  the  feet  down  too  soon,  but  throw  them  for- 
ward. /The  momentum  'of  the  body  will  carry  it  on  so  that  you 
will  not  fall  back. 

.       STAXDIXG   BROAD    JUMP 

The  same  rules  as  to  take-off  board,  measuring,  etc.,  apply  in 
this  jump  as  in  the  running  broad  jump.  The  feet  must  not 
leave  the  ground  but  onc-e  in  an  attempt.  One  common  fault  with 
untrained  jumpers  is  not  to  get  the  body  high  enough  in  the  air. 
You  should  give  a  strong  spring  upward  as  well  as  forward,  and 
bring  the  knees  well  up  in  front,  throwing  the  feet  forward  as 
you  land. 

HOP,  STEP,  AXD  JUMP 

The  same  rules  as  to  take-off  board,  measuring,  etc.,  apply  in 
this  event  as  in  the  broad  jumps.  The  jumper  must  spring  from 
one  foot,  for  otherwise  it  is  not  a  hop.  He  must  first  hop,  then 
step,  then  jump,  .and  there  must  be  no  stop  between  any  two  of 
these. 

THE   POLE    VAULT 

'  The  pole  should  be  14  or  16  feet  long,  and  the  best  material  is 
spruce.  A  better  grip  is  had  if  3^011  wind  the  pole  with  electric 
tape.  Grasp  the  pole,  thumb  up.  You  can  tell  by  practise  the 
best  place  for  each  hand.  One  should  be  a  little  below  the  cross 
bar  and  the  other  about  twice  as  far  above  it.  If  you  rise  from 
the  left  foot,  carry  the  pole  on  the  right  side  of  the  body,  and 
swing  the  body  to  the  right  of  the  pole  as  you  rise,  keeping  close 


18  Bulletin  of  tlie  University  of  Texas 

to  it.  Begin  the  run  about  thirty  paces  from  the  bar,  and  be  at 
top  speed  about  fifteen  paces  away.  The  last  step  should  be  short 
so  you  can  throw  momentum  into  the  spring.  '  Practise  the  run  until 
you  can  pla^-e  the  point  of  the  pole  in  the  hole  in  front  of  the 
take-off  accurately  without  having  to  give  it  attention.  Just  as 
the  pole  is  settled,  leap  forward  and  .up  with  all  your  strength,, 
throwing  the  legs  upward  and  giving  a  strong  pull  with  the  arms, 
at  the  same  time  making  a  half  turn  with  the  body  so  that  it  faces 
the  bar.  As  you  leap  into  the  air  with  legs  uppermost,  slip  the 
lower  hand  up  to  the  other  one.  It  must  not  be  placed  above  the 
other  one,  nor  can  you  raise  the  upper  hand.  As  your  feet  and 
body  clear  the  bar,  throw  your  legs  downward,  at  the  same  time 
giving  the  pole  a  push  as  you  let  it  go,  throwing  the  arms  up. 
This  brings  them  clear  of  the  bar. 

PUTTING    THE    SHOT 

While  weight  and  strength  are  very  important  in  this  event, 
yet  a  great  deal  depends  on  form.  In  getting  form,  learn  first 
the  "reverse/'  then  the  glide,  and  finally  practise  making  the  con- 
nection between  the  glide  and  the  "reverse." 

In  practising  the  "reverse,"  stand  with  left  side  to  the  front. 
Hold  the  shot  in  the  palm  of  the  hand,  grasping  it  with  the 
fingers  and  letting  it  rest  a  little  on  the  base  of  fingers.  Keep 
arm  close  to  the  body,  holding  shot  well  up  by  the  shoulder.  The 
other  arm  should  be  stretched  out  and  up,  and  the  body  bent 
back  and  down.  But  do  not  stoop  too  low  in  making  the  put. 
Now  quickly  reverse  this  position,  pushing  the  right  arm  out  and 
up,  taking  one  step  forward  with  right  leg,  and  drawing  left  arm 
and  leg  back.  Get  all  the  force  and  speed  possible  in  this  move- 
ment. Be  sure  to  keep  the  shot  up  and  arm  .close  to  shoulder. 
Bring  the  body  around  before  shooting  the  arm  out. 

The  glide  is  made  by  taking  two  steps  forward  from  rear  of 
circle,  keeping  left  leg  in  front.  After  learning  the  reverse  and 
glide,  it  is  very  important  to  make  the  reverse  after  the  glide 
without  any  stop  whatever.  The  glide  is  to  put  momentum  into 
the  reverse,  and  if  any  hesitation  occurs  whatever,  this  momentum 
is  lost. 

THROWING    THE    HAMMER 

Face  opposite  to  the  direction  of  the  throw,  reaching  around 
with  hammer  as  far  as  you  can.  Swing  it  around  the  head 
three  times,  then  make  the  first  turn  of  the  body,  covering  very 
little  distance.  The  next  turn  and  the  next  are  made  at  increas- 
ing speed.  At  the  end  of  the  third  turn  you  should  be  against 
the  stop  board  of  the  circle.  Keep  the  body  ahead  of  the  hammer, 
and  stand  on  the  toes  when  throwing.  You  will  have  to  practise 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  19 

carefully  to  control  the  direction  of  the  throw  and  to  stay  in  the 
circle. 

THE   DISCUS 

The  throw  of  the  discus  is  made  in  somewhat  similar  manner 
to  that  of  the  hammer,  but  weight  and  strength  are  not  so  im- 
portant as  skill.  The  same  attention  must  be  given  to  getting 
the  glide  and  the  reverse  easily  and  smoothly,  and  to  putting 
ever  increasing  speed  into  the  turns.  You  must  be  careful  here, 
aiso,  to  stay  in  the  circle,  for  otherwise  it  is  a  foul.  A  good  deal 
of  attention  will  have  to  be  given  to  getting  the  proper  hold  on 
the  discus.  Let  it  lie  flat  against  the  palm  of  the  hand,  spread- 
ing the  fingers  out  so  that  they  grasp  the  outer  edge.  Try  the 
stationary  throw  until  you  get  that  down,  before  trying  the  turn; 

BASEBALL    THROW 

A  baseball  throw  for  distance  is  ordinarily  made  after  a  short 
run,,  but  it  was  thought  best  to  require  that  this  event  in  meets 
under  the  direction  of  the  Interscholastic  League,  should  be  made 
from  a  seven-foot  circle  as  in  the  hammer,  discus,  and  shot  events, 
as  this  will  call  for  more  skill,  and  greater  control  of  the  body. 
You  should  practise  to  get  the  right  elevation.  It  is  not  a  good 
idea  to  throw  too  high;  about  forty-five  degrees  is  best.  It 
is  a  well  known  fact  that  many  of  the  speediest  baseball  pitcjiers 
cannot  throw  the  ball  as  far  as  some  fielders  who  have  not  so  much 
speed  when  pitching.  This  shows  the  importance  of  practice.  No 
matter  how  strong  you  are,  you  can  throw  much  further  after 
practising  faithfully. 

The  baseball  throw  for  accuracy  is  another  good  event.  Fix  a 
catcher's  mitt  or  a  pad  of  some  kind,  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground  and  50  or  65  feet  away.  Allow  three  trials,  as  in  other 
field  events,  counting  the  best  one.  For  touching  the  mitt  but 
glancing  off,  allow  one  point.  For  hitting  the  mitt  squarely,  allow 
five  points.  If  there  is  a  tie  between  teams,  move  the  line  back 
five  yards  and  have  them  throw  again.  If  there  is  still  a  tie, 
allow  one  point  more  to  the  team  hitting  the  mark  squarely  the 
greatest  number  of  times. 

THREEr-LEGGED    RACE 

Besides  being  very  interesting  to  spectators,  this  event  calls  for 
a  great  deal  of  skill  and  speed.  Fasten  a  strap  to  the  inside 
ankles  of  two  runners,  and  join  these  by  a  loop  strap  three  inches 
long.  Fasten  a  similar  strap  above  the  knees,  with  a  connecting 
loop  two  inches  long.  It  is  well  to  have  one  runner  taller  than 
the  other,  so  that  he  can  get  a  good  hold  over  his  partner's 
shoulder  around  his  waist.  Practise  the  start  faithfully,  and  run 


20  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

just  as  if  you  were  running  the  race  alone.  This  event  requires 
a  great  deal  of  practice,  but  the  improvement  that  will  result  is 
well  worth  it. 


POTATO    BACE 


This   is   another  very   interesting   event,   but   very   trying,   and 
hence   should   not  be  made   long.     Place   four   potatoes   two   feet 


a 
a 

D 


Figure  No.  1.     Potato  Race. 

apart,  the  first  one  five  yards  from  the  starting  line.  Each  run- 
ner must  get  one  potato  at  a  time  and  put  it  in  the  basket  behind 
the  starting  line,  touching  the  line  each  time.  A  large  number 
of  contestants  can  take  part  at  a  time,  but  of  course  each  must 
have  a  separate  line  of  potatoes.  There  should  be  lanes  two  feet 
wide  between  one  contestant's  line  and  another's,  and  it  is  a 
foul  for  a  contestant  to  step  into  one  of  these  lanes.  The  lanes 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  21 

should   be  three   feet   apart.     Where   there   are   only   a   few   con- 
testants, it  is  not  necessary  to  have  these  dividing  lanes. 

SINGLE   RELAY 

This  race  is  suitable  to  teams  having  large  numbers.  Like  any 
other  relay  race,  there  must  he  the  same  number  in  each  team, 
and  each  contestant  runs  only  once.  Each  team  is  in  single  file 
behind  the  starting  line.  The  first  runner  dashes  forward,  touches 
a  line  fifteen  yards  in  front,  returns,  and  touches  off  the  next 
runner,  who  runs  as  the  first  one  did,  and  so  on.  The  team  whose 
last  runner  first  crosses  the  finish  line  wins. 

SHUTTLE    RELAY 

Divide  each  team  into  two  equal  numbers,  facing  each  other  15 
yards  apart.  The  first  runner  of  one  division  runs  across  and 
touches  off  the  first  one  in  the  second  division,  who  runs  back  and 
touches  off  No.  2  in  the  first  division,  and  so  on.  The  team 
whose  last  runner  first  crosses  the  finish  line  wins. 

POTATO    SHUTTLE   RELAY 

Line  up  as  in  shuttle  relay,  on  lines  18  yards  apart.  On  a 
line  straight  from  the  center  of  each  team  and  five  yards  from 
the  line,  place  a  basket  containing  four  potatoes.  The  first  run- 
ner must  take  these  potatoes,  one  at  a  time,  and  place  the  first 
one  two  yards  beyond  the  basket,  the  next-two  yards  beyond  that, 
and  so  on.  He  then  runs  on  and  touches  off  the  first  runner  in 
the  second  division,  who  must  replace  the  potatoes,  one  at  a  time, 
in  the  basket,  and  touch  off  No.  2  in  the  first  division,  who  dis- 
tributes the  potatoes  again,  and  so  on.  The  last  runner,  after  re- 
placing the  potatoes  in  the  basket,  finishes  in  a  dash  across  the 
line  back  of  the  basket.  This  requires  that  the  number  on  a  team 
be  even,  and  not  odd. 

ALL-UP    RELAY 

Line  up  as  in  single  relay.  Fifteen  yards  in  front  of  each  line 
are  two  3-foot  circles  touching  each  other  and  parallel  with  the 
starting  line.  In  one  circle  are  three  Indian  clubs  or  similar  ob- 
jects, standing  upright.  The  first  runner  of  a  team  runs  for- 
ward, moves  the.  clubs  from  one  circle  to  the  other,  using  only  one 
hand,  and  returns,  touching  off  runner  No.  2,  who  runs  and 
moves  the  clubs  back  to  the  first  circle,  and  so  on.  The  clubs 
must  be  left  upright  each  time.  Otherwise,  the  runner  must  re- 
turn and  place  them  upright  before  touching  off  another  runner. 
The  last  runner  to  move  the  clubs  finishes  in  a  dash  over  the  line, 
and  the  one  who  finishes  first,  wins. 


Bull  din   of  the  University  of  Texas 


te 


ZV*K  - 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  23 

PASS    BALL    RELAY 

Teams  Hue  up  in  single  file  parallel  with  each  other.  The  one 
in  front,  at  the  signal  passes  a  basket  ball  over  his  head  to  the 
one  behind,  who  passes  it  overhead  to  the  next  one,  and  so  on. 
The  last  one  in  the  line,  on  receiving  the  ball,  rims  around  a  fixed 
point  in  front  anc>  hands  the  ball  to  the  one  in  the  front  of  the 
line,  and  then  takes  position  in  front.  The  ball  is  passed  back 
as  before.  When  the  one  who  was  in  front  at  first  is  in  front 
again,  the  race  is  over. 

TUG-OF-WAR 

There  may  be  a  very  large  number  on  a  side,  but  it  is  usually 
best  to  limit  the  number  to  not  more  than  twelve  on  a  side.  The 
rope  should  be  either  four-and-a-half  or  five  inches  in  circum- 
ference and  made  of  manilla.  There  should  be  a  clamp  fixed  at 
the  middle,  and  the  nearest  contestant  on  either  side  should  not 
be  nearer  than  three  feet  of  this  clamp.  There  should  be  another 
clamp  at  the  3-foot  mark  on  either  side  of  the  middle,  to  indicate 
this  point,  but  it  must  be  in  front  of  the  front  contestant's  hand. 
There  must  be  no  knots  or  other  obstructions  on  the  rope,  and 
contestants  must  not  wrap  the  rope  around  their  arms,  legs,  or 
bodies,  nor  may  they  wear  gloves  or  shields  on  the  hands.  They 
may  use  adhesive  substances  on  the  hands.  No  weights  shall  be 
worn  except  where  teams  are  limited  as  to  weight.  If  the  re- 
quired distance  is  not  made  by  either  side  after  five  minutes,  a 
rest  of  two  minutes  shall  be  allowed,  and  if  after  another  five- 
minutes'  pull  the  distance  has  not  been  made,  the  award  shall  be 
made  to  the  team  having  made  the  farthest  pull. 

CHINNING 

In  chinning  the  bar,  use  the  reverse  grasp,  with  back  of  hands 
away  from  the  body.  Do  not  jerk,  or  swing,  but  pull  straight 
up,  You  must  also  let  down  complpetely  after  each  pull  up. 
The  bar  must  be  high  enough  for  you  to  let  down  full  length 
without  touching  the  ground.  In  practising  this  event,  take 
especial  care  not  to  try  more  than  one  or  two  times  at  first,  but 
-after  the  first  two  or  three  days,  practise  several  times  daily. 
Never  raise  the  body  your  greatest  number  of  times  more  than 
once  a  week,  and  be  careful  against  over-exertion. 


THE  TRAINING  OF  YOUNG  ATHLETES 

F.  L.  ("TEXAS")  EAMSDELL, 

MARSHALL  TRAINING   SCHOOL,   SAX   ANTONIO 

(Captain  University  of  Texas  Track  Team,  1907;  Intercollegiate  Cham- 
pion of  America  in  100  yards  dash,  1910;  Champion  of  Great  Britain  in 
100  yards  and  200  yards  run,  1910  and  1911;  Half-back,  University  of 
Pennsylvania  Football  Team,  1909,  1910;  Director  of  Outdoor  Athletics, 
Carnegie  Technical  Schools,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  1911-1912.) 

BEGIN    TRAINING    EARLY 

It  is  desirable  to  begin  training  for  track  athletics  early  in  the 
winter  or  even  in  the  fall,  for  in  most  parts  of  this  branch  of 
sport  it  takes  time  and  patience  to  acquire  the  "form"  that  is 
necessary  for  success.  In  Texas,  moreover,  it  is  generally  possi- 
ble to  train  out  doors  all  the  winter.  In  this  respect  Texas  boys 
have  a  great  advantage  over  those  in  the  North,  for  outdoor  train- 
ing, except  in  bad  weather,  is  far  more  beneficial  than  that  in  a 
gymnasium. 

One  of  the  most  essential  things  for  this  winter  training  is  to 
keep  colds  from  settling  in  the  muscles  of  the  young  athletes, 
especially  the  runners.  The  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  have  each 
runner  wear  a  heavy  pair  of  long  underdrawers  while  he  is  out 
on  the  track.  These  should  be' worn  until  spring,  when  all  chance 
for  cold  is  gone.  If  a  cold  once  gets  into  a  runner's  muscles,  it 
will  give  trouble  for  a  long  time  and  may  cause  a  soreness  that 
will  last  all  season.  During  the  time  the  boys  are  wearing  these 
drawers,  never  let  them  pull  them  off  to  take  starts  or  trials. 
They  should  do  their  work  with  them  on. 

THE    TRACK    WORK 

Care  at  the  First  of  the  Season 

The  trainer  cannot  be  too  careful  at  the  first  of  the  season, 
especially  with  beginners  or  even  with  boys  who  have  previously 
done  track  work.  On  the  first  day  out  they  will  want  to  run 
races  among  themselves  and  to  put  in  every  particle  of  energy 
they  have.  As  a  result  they  frequently  become  sore  and  stiff  and 
then  get  discouraged  because  they  fall  into  worse  physical  condi- 
tion than  before  they  began  training.  Then,  too,  they  find  them- 
selves incapable  of  doing  as  well  as  they  expected  and  soon  con- 
vince themselves  that  they  can  never  become  track  athletes.  At 
first,  do  not  let  them  work  hard  or  Ions:  at  a  time.  It  is  neces- 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  25 

sary  only  for  them  to  get  the  dosiivd  muscular  action,  to  acquire 
better  muscular  coordination.  If  the  training  is  begun  in  the 
spring,  it  is  even  more  necessary  not  to  let  them  work  too  hard 
at  first.  Let  the  runners  go  only  at  about  three-fourth  speed,  and 
when  the  work  begins  to  punish  them  let  them  slow  down  to  a 
jog  and  after  getting  rested  go  again.  Be  careful  not  to  give 
ihem  too  long  a  "work-out."'  The  point  is  never  to  let  them  work 
down  completely  in  practice,  but  to  see  that  they  reserve  their 
strength  for  later  effort,  and  in  the  meantime  acquire  good  mus- 
cular coordination.  If  this  sort  of  practise  is  given  regularly  you 
•will  soon  find  them  able  to  go  a  little  further  each  day. 

fl  Warming  Up" 

In  all  cases  a  runner  should  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in 
warming  up  before  a  race  or  hard  practise;  and  under  no  con- 
sideration should  be  exert  himself  greatly  unless  his  muscles  are 
properly,  warmed  and  loosened  up.  Otherwise,  he  is  "likely  to 
"pull"  a  tendon;  and  when  once  this  has  happened,  that  tendon 
can  never  be  depended  upon  again.  Ninety-nine  out  of  every 
hundred  troubles  of  this  sort  are  caused  by  not  warming  up  prop- 
erly. The  best  way  to  warm  up  is  to  take  easy  swings  up  and 
down  the  track,  gradually  letting  the  muscles  -warm  by  this  light 
use,  and  then  dance  up  and  down  on  the  toes,  bringing  the  knees 
up  to  the  chest.  The  first  should  be  practised  by  distance  men, 
while  both  should  be  used  by  sprinters.  Sprinters  should  take 
especial  care  to  get  properly  warmed  up,  because  the  sudden  and 
strenuous  exertion  required  of  them  is  the  most  likely  to'  cause 
trouble.  On  the  day  of  the  race  have  the  runner  go  out  half  an 
hour  before  the  race — especially  if  it  is  a  cool  day — and  spend 
some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  warming  up;  then  have  him  come  in 
and  have  his  muscles  well  rubbed,  and  keep  him  covered  up  warm 
until  his  race.  Then,  before  he  goes  to  his  marks,  have  him 
:spend  a  little  time  dancing  about  on  his  toes  to  get  his  muscles 
properly  loosened.  When  waiting  at  the  marks  before  a  race,  never 
keep  still,  keep  dancing.  If  one  stands  still  for  a  moment,  the 
muscles  wil]  become  set  and  will  not  respond  nearly  as  well  as 
they  should. 

Training  tJte  Runners 

Trainers  often  make  the  mistake  of  spending  too  much  time  in 
-coaching  the  sprinters  to  get  a  quick  start,  saying  that  the  sprint 
is  won  or  lost  there.  That  would  be  true  only  when  the  runners 
are  of  equal  speed  and  strength,  and  it  may  hold  for  a  very  short 
sprint  like  the  50-yard  dash;  but  it  is  a  mistake  for  the  standard 
distances.  A  quick  start  is  very  important,  but  it  is  not  nearly 
.as  important  as  a  strong  finish.  Generally,  the  man  who  wins 


26  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

races  is  not  the  one  who  is  first  away  from  his  holes,  but  the  first 
into  his  running,  provided  he  has  any  "running,"  and  then  has 
the  strength  to  finish  hard.  Have  the  sprinter  spend  most  of  his 
time  in  swinging  along  at  about  three-fourths  speed — a  good  fast 
swing.  He  should  just  let  his  legs  carry  him  along,  running 
smoothly,  with  a  good  stride.  Have  him  swing  anywhere  from 
100  to  250  yards,  five  or  six  times,  after  he  once  gets  warmed 
up,  until  it  begins  to  "pull";  then  stop,  dance  around  a  bit,  and 
go  again.  But  all  the  time  he  should  keep  moving  while  in  his 
running  clothes.  Have  him  work  out  of  his  holes  only  enough 
to  keep  familiar  with  them,  and  enough  to  connect  his  start 
quickly  with  his  running  stride. 

By  the  swings  he  increases  his  speed,  endurance,  and  stride; 
while  the  thing  to  work  for  in  the  starts,  about  one  afternoon  a 
week,  is  to  get  the  connection  between  the  start  and  the  running 
stride  as  soon  as  possible.  In  the  start,  the  main  thing  is  the 
concentration  of  mind  upon  the  exertion  of  all  the  muscular  ener- 
gies the  instant  the  gun  is  fired. 

For  the  longer  runs,  I  have  found  it  best  in  general  to  work 
a  man  beyond  the  required  distance  at  a  slightly  reduced  speed 
to  develop  strength  and  endurance,  and  under  the  required  dis- 
stance  at  a  slightly  greater  speed  to  develop  speed  and  staying 
ability.  In  the  first  I  should  say  about  one  and  one-half  times 
the  distance,  while  in  the  latter,  about  three-fourths  the  distance. 
(But  in  no  case  let  your  runner  run  until  he  is  exhausted.)  This 
will  apply  generally  from  the  quarter  mile  up.  However,  I  have 
found  better  results  by  sticking  mostly  to  the  under  distance  in 
the  quarter,  though  that  depends  on  the  style  of  race  he  is  to 
run.  The  style  I  like  best  in  this  race  is  to  run  from  the  shot 
of  the  gun  all  the  way — that  is,  do  not  save  back  for  a  sprint  at 
the  finish.  The  quarter  is,  in  fact,  the  hardest  race  on  the  pro- 
gram. My  method  for  it  is  to  start  training  the  sprinter  at  the 
gait  you  expect  him  to  have  to  run  it — say,  52  seconds — and  tell 
him  to  keep  that  gait  until  he  begins  to  tire,  then  to  slow  down 
to  a  jog.  He  should  do  this  each  day,  after  he  has  properly 
warmed  up.  You  will  find  that  he  will  be  able  to  get  a  little 
farther  every  day,  until  he  gets  around  350  or  400  yards.  Then 
the  excitement  of  the  race  will  easily  carry  him  the  remaining 
distance. 

Remember  never  to  let  a  boy  run  himself  out  completely  except 
in  a  race.     In  a  race  he  is  out  to  win,  but  in  practice  he  is  pre- 
paring himself  for  the  race  and  should,  therefore,  build  up  and 
conserve  his  physical  energy  in  order  to  accumulate  a  large  store 
for  the  great  event.     It  is  obvious  that  if  he  is  ,  allowed  to  run 
his  strength  out  each  day  in  practice  he  will  not  have  the  extra 
t  amount  needed  on   the   day  of   the  race.     Often   you  hear  of   a 
'sprinter  running  a  wonderful  trial  race  a  day  or  two  before  a 


27 

meet  and  then  not  being  ;vl)le  to  repeat  it  on  the  day  when  he 
needs  to.  This  is  because  he  had  exhausted  his  strength  in  the 
trial  race  and  did  not  have  sufficient  time  to  restore  it  for  the 
final  race.  The  same  is  true  of  all  athletes,  the  jumpers,  vaulters 
and  even  the  weight  men.  Never  let  your  man  try  his  best  for 
the  full  distance  of toner  than  once  in  each  week.  Don't  let  the 
runner  carry  a  stop-watch,  nor  let  him  see  you  holding  a  watch 
on  him.  except  now  and  then  when  estimating  his  pace.  When 
constantly  used,  it  does  more  harm  than  good. 

Till-:    FIELD    EVENTS 

Form  is  required  more  in  the  field  events  than  in  the  track 
events,  for,  while  many  good  runners  have  different  styles  of  run- 
ning, in  the  field  events  the  regulation  form  is  very  essential. 
Therefore,  in  these  it  is  especially  necessary  to  begin  work  early 
in  the  year.  In  these,  too,  one  should  warm  up  gradually  before 
trying  hard, -and  in  the  jumps  and  pole  vaults  the  warming  up  is 
just  as  essential  as  in  the  sprints  and  practically  of  the  same  nature. 


Figure  No.  3.     The  Discus. — Rl  and  LI  indicate 

first  position  of  feet;  lines  show  movement 

to  final  position.    Drawing  of  lines  is 

not  exact. 

The  hammer  depends  on  the  number  of  turns  taken.  Of  course^ 
the  form'  is  the  same,  only,  the  more  turns  taken  the  less  care  can 
be  taken  for  each  turn.  The  turns  are  made  as  shown  in  diagram 
No.  4.  The  left  foot  is  kept  on  the  ground  and  is  slid  back  even 
just  as  essential  as  in  the  sprints  and  of  practically  the  same 
nature. 

The  hammer  and  discus  are  worked  on  the  same  principle,  that 
is,  the  turn  is.  One  of  the  most  essential  things  in  the  throwing 
of  these  is  to  keep  on  the  ground.  Do  not  jump  up  in  the  air 
when  turning.  If  so,  you  lose  your  purchase  and  the  ground  and 
YOU  have  no  power  back  of  your  heave. 


28  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

With  the  discus  it  is  simply  two  quick  swinging  steps  with  the 
power  of  legs,  body,  and  arm  back  of  the  throw  when  turned  loose, 
with  the  right  after  each  turn.  On  the  beginning  of  the  turns 
the  hammer  is  ahead  of  the  man  pulling  him  around,  but  in  mak- 
ing the  swing  around  the  man  gets  ahead  of  the  hammer,  and  it 
again  passes  him  about  the  time  he  slides  the  left  foot  back.  So 
the  hammer  and  man  pass  each  other  twice  in  making  each  turn. 

The  best  way  to  get  both  the  hammer  and  discus  is  to  study  it 
out  for  yourself.  It  will  soon  become  clear  to  you. 

Jn  turning  the  hammer  loose  always  throw  it  over  your 
shoulder  and  never  under,  as  the  required  elevation  cannot  be  got 
from  below  your  shoulders.  An  elevation  of  about  45  degrees  is 
what  you  should  work  for  in  'all  the  weight  events.  The  essen- 
tial thing  in  the  shot  put  is  the  simultaneous  drive  from  leg,  body, 
and  arms.  In  the  pole  vault  it  is  to  get  the  slide;  in  the  high 
jump,  the  kick  and  turn  as  the  jumper  rises  above  the  bar. 


Figure  No.  4.     The  Hammer  Throw. — Rl  and  LI  show 
first  position  of  right  foot  and  left  foot.     Lines  show- 
ing motion  of  right  foot  should  swing  wider. 

In  starting  off  with  a  beginner  it  is  a  good  thing  to  put  a  short 
handle  on  the  hammer  until  he  gets  the  required  form,  then  grad- 
ually extend  it  to  the  proper  length.  Dont  let  a  boy  become  dis- 
couraged because  he  does  not  do  well  at  first.  It  usually  takes  a 
long  time  for  a  man  to  become  a  good  vaulter  or  hammer  thrower. 


One  of  the  most  necessary  things  -for  the  trainer  to  do  is  to 
make  a  study  of  the  habits  and  disposition  of  each  individual  he 
is  tndng  to  train.  You  rarely  find  two  persons  of  exactly  the 
same  temperament,  and,  therefore,  the  work  that  suits  one  may 
not  suit  the  other  at  all.  A  nervous,  high  strung  boy  should 
never  be  made  to  do  the  same  amount  of  work  as  a  slow,  phleg- 
matic one.  Sometimes  you  will  see  a  trainer  trying  to  make  a 
whole  squad  of  young  fellows  do  the  same  kind  and  amount  of 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  29 

work  and  wondering  why  some  of  them  progress  and  others  be- 
come stale.  Always  watch  the  men  carefully  and  give  them  the 
work  they  seem  to  require.  Always  fit  the  work  to  suit  the  in- 
dividual and  never,  under  any  circumstances,  try  to  make  the  in- 
dividual fit  the  work.  The  central  dominating  purpose  in  the 
training  is  to  work  to  get  the  athlete  into  the  best  physical  condi- 
tion possible  at  the  time  of  the  contest — not  a  week  before  or  a  week 
after,  but  on  the  day.  It  takes  an  experienced  man  to  do  that, 
and  often  he  goes  wrong.  All  will  agree  that  for  an  athlete  to 
put  forth  his  best  efforts,  he  must  be  in  his  best  condition.  It  is 
in  bringing  about  this  condition  that  the  trainers  differ. 

The  hardest  problem  that  confronts  the  trainer  is  to  keep  his 
men  in  ..condition  after  he  once  gets  them  there.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  a  man  to  keep  on  a  keen  edge  for  a  race  any  great  length 
of  time,  therefore  most  trainers  like  to  have  a  particular  contest 
before  them  to  work  towards,  and  then  try  to  bring  the  men  into 
condition  gradually  so  that  they  will  be  in  the  best  of  condi- 
tion on  the  day  of  the  meet,  This  is  where  the  trainer  must 
use  judgment  and  common  sense  and  exercise  restraint.  Often 
a  man  runs  a  good  race  in  a  preliminary  meet  a  few  weeks  before 
the  big  event  and  then  "goes  back"  before  the  real  race  comes  off. 
That  means  that  he  has  become  stale.  He  did  too  much  work 
and  trained  himself  to  too  fine  a  point  It  is  better,  when  the 
great  event  of  the  season  is  at  the  close,  to  lose  the  early  meets 
than  to  over-train  your  men  for  them  and  run  the  risk  of  having 
them  stale  at  the  time  of  the  great  contest. 

As  to  dieting,  a  subject  that  seems  to  trouble  a  great  many, 
the  best  general  rule  is  for  each  young  athlete  to  study  his  own 
condition  and  find  out  what  agrees  with  him  and  what  does  not. 
Then  he  should  eat  what  agrees  with  him  and  let  the  other  things 
alone.  No  one  can  be  at  his  best  unless  he  has  his  stomach  in 
good  condition.  He  can  eat  almost  any  good  wholesome  food  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  the  reason,  but  should  be  very  careful 
what  he  eats  for  a  few  days  before  the  race.  I  have  known  train- 
ers who  would  not  let  their  men  eat  the  ordinary  meal  before  the 
race.  That,  I  think,  is  a  mistaken  idea.  I  have  always  eaten 
before  my  own  races;  but  I  was  very  careful  what  I  ate,  and 
always  ate  it  at  least  two  or  three  hours  before  the  race. 

Never  let  the  athlete  use  stimulants  of  any  kind  nor  eat  pies 
or  any  kind  of  pastry,  coffee,  greasy  meats,  biscuits  or  hot  cakes 
while  training.  Everybody  knows  the  harmful  effects  of  stimu- 
lants. The  other  things  are  hard  to  digest,  and,  by,  remaining  as 
a  load  in  the  stomach,  tend  to  reduce  the  strength  of  the  athlete, 
keeping  him  out  of  "condition." 

A  great  many  boys  think  that  they  should  be  in  condition  after 
training  for  two  or  three  weeks.  At  the  best  this  is  impossible, 
for  it  takes  more  time  than  that  to  bring  about  the  proper  mus- 


SO  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

collar  development;  and  when  boys  have  been  going  along  for 
forty-nine  or  fifty  weeks  in  a  year,  smoking  and  otherwise  violat- 
ing training  rules.,  it  is  absolutely  absurd  to  think  they  can  get 
the  effects  all  out  of  their  system  and  be  strong  in  a  couple  of 
weeks.  To  be  an  athlete  one  should  take  the  best  care  of  himself 
all  of  the  time.  The  better  care  he  takes  during  the  winter,  the 
better  and  quicker  he  will  find  his  form  in  the  spring. 

You  sometimes  hear  doctors  condemn  athletics  as  injurious,,  say- 
ing that  it  causes  the  heart  to  become  enlarged,  and,  in  after  years, 
fat  and  flabby.  This  is  true  in  lots  of  cases,  but  it  is  not  the 
athletics  that  hurts,  it  is  the  sudden  change  from  training  to 
"breaking,  training."  The  man  who  lives  a  good,  moderate  and 
clean  life  the  year  round  is  not  hurt  by  athletics.  The  man  who^ 
has  the  fat  and  enlarged  heart  is  the  one  who  breaks  training 
after  football  and  track  season  by  getting  on- a  spree  for  a.  few 
days.'  It  has  been  clearly  proven  that  a  properly  trained  and 
clean-living  athlete  will  not  be  bothered  with  an  enlarged  heart. 
So  if  you  lead  a  clean,  consistent  life,  don't  be  afraid;  athletics 
won't  bother  your  heart,  but  will  strengthen  it. 


COMPETITIVE  GAMES 

Only  a  few  of  the  many  good  games  can  be  mentioned  here. 
Do  not  try  too  many,  but  concentrate  upon  several  live  teams  in 
one  game.  Emphasize  as  much  as  possible  those  games  that  call 
for  large  numbers  of  players.  It  is  better  to  teach  one  game  well, 
and  get  it  well  rooted  at  a  school,  than  to  make  spasmodic  at- 
tempts at  half  a  dozen. 

VOLLEY    BALL 

This  game  is  becoming  very  popular,  and  rightly  so.  It  is  the 
best  of  exercise  for  students  who  have  spent  hours  seated  at  desks 
with  shoulders  bent,  or  for  other  classes  of  people  who  get  little 
exercise  of  the  arms,  chest,  and  back.  It  may  be  played  on  courts 
of  every  size,  and  by  any  number  on  a  side.  The  standard  court 
is  25  feet  by  50  feet,  with  a  net  27  feet  long  and  7  feet  6  inches 
high  at  the  middle,  stretched  across  the  middle  of  the  court 
parallel  with  the  ends,  and  attached  to  posts  1  foot  from  the  sides. 
Enlarge  the  court  to  suit  large  numbers  of  players.  The  ball  is 
of  rubber,  from  25  inches  to  27  inches  in  circumference,  and  from' 
9  to  12  ounces  in  weight,  It  costs  from  $2.50  to  $4.00.  The 
server  stands  with  one  foot  on  the  back  line.  He  bats  the  ball 
with  open  hand  over  the  net  into  any  part  of  the  other  court.  A 
server  may  have  .two  trials  if  the  ball  hits  the  net  and  rolls  over 
into  the  court.  If  it  does  not  go  into  the  other  court  he  loses  his 
serve.  A  server  continues  to  serve  until  he  is  retired  by  his  fail- 
ure to  serve  properly  or  the  failure  of  his  side  to  return  properly. 
If  the  other  side  fails  to  return  properly,  it  counts  one  point  for 
the  server's  side.  Twenty-one  points  make  a  game. 

A  service  that  would  strike  the  net  may  be  hit  by  another  of 
the  server's  side  and  if  it  falls  over  the  net  in  the  other  court  it 
is  a  good,  service. 

To  be  returned,  a  ball  must  be  hit  by  a  player's  hand  or  hands 
before  touching  the  ground,  and  knocked  over  the  net  with  or 
without  touching  it,  into  the  other  court.  You  must  not  allow 
the  ball  to  touch  your  body,  and  you  must  not  touch  the  net  with 
your  arms  or  body.  You  must  not  hit  the  ball  twice  before  an- 
other of  your  side  has  hit  it,  but  after  the  ball  has  been  hit  by 
another  of  your  side,  you  may  hit  it  and.  knock  it  over.  Players 
on  a  side  take  their  turns  in  serving. 

A  good  player  wil  cover  a  certain  part  of  his  court,  and  work 
with  his  team-mates.  He  will  strike  the  ball  with  both  hands, 
and  pass  to  his  team-mate  at  proper  times.  He  will  watch  for 
uncovered  spots  in  the  other  court,  and  try  to  put  the  ball  there. 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


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Physical  Training  and  Athletics 


33 


END   BALL 

This  is  a  fine  game  for  large  numbers  as  a  preparation  for 
captain  ball  or  basketball.  It  is  especially  good  for  girls. 

Use  .a  basketball.  The  court  is  30  feet  square,  but  may  be 
larger  to  suit  the  number  of  players.  Divide  court  into  two  equal 
parts,  and  draw  a  line  parallel  with  center  line,  and  3  feet  from 
each  end  line.  In  this  end  space  put  one-third  of  a  team,  and 
the  other  two-thirds  on  opposite  side  of  center  line.  The  ball  is 
tossed  up  by  official  between  two  "guards"  at  the  center.  The 
one  touching  it  first  gets  a  free  throw.  The  object  is  to  throw 
the  ball  over  the  heads  of  opponents  to  one's  end  players  in  the 
end  space.  Every  time  a  ball  is  caught  by  an  end  player,  it 
counts  one  point.  A  game  lasts  twenty  minutes,  divided  into  two 
ten-minute  halves,  with  a  three-  or  five-minute  rest  between. 

It  is  a  foul  to  allow  a  ball  to  roll  into  opponent's  territory,  to 
push,  pull,  or  otherwise  play  roughly.  On  a  foul,  the  opposing 
team  gets  a  free  throw,  and  when  ball  rolls  into  opponent's  ter- 
ritory, it  counts  one  point  for  opponents.  If  ball  goes  out  of 
bounds,  the  pkwer  on  whose  side  it  went  out  may  return  it  to  a 
team-mate  on  opposite  side  of  court. 

CAPTAIN   BALL 

This  game  is  played  with  a  basketball,  and  there  may  be  from 
ten  to  sixteen  players  on  a  side.  Have  a  3-foot -strip  dividing 


Figure  No.  6.     Captain  Ball. 

ground  into  equal  parts.     On  each  side,  in  a  semicircle,  arrange 
bases  2  feet  in  diameter,  6  feet  apart,  the  nearest  being  at  least 


34  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

6  feet  from  the  central  strip,  and  a  captain's  'base  being  inside 
each  string-  of  outer  bases,  at  least  10  feet  from  them.  A  base- 
man stands  in  each  outer  base,  with  the  captain  in  the  inside  base. 
On  the  outside  of  each  base  is  a  guard  of  the  opposing  team.  The 
referee  tosses  up  the  ball  in  the  neutral  strip  between  two  guards. 
The  first  to  catch  it  with  both  hands  has  the  throw.  The  object 
is  to  pass  the  ball  to  one's  basemen.  Each  time  it  is  caught  by  a 
baseman  after  a  throw  from  another  of  that  team's  basemen,  ex- 
cept the  captain,  it  counts  one  point,  and  each  foul  counts  one- 
point  for  the  other  side.  If  the  captain  catches  the  ball  after  a 
catch  by  each  baseman  in  succession,  it  counts  two  points,  and  it 
also  counts  two  extra  points  when  all  the  outer  basemen  have 
caught  the  ball  in  the  same  play. 

A  catch  by  a  captain  from  an  outer  baseman  scores. 

A  catch  from  the  captain  does  not  score. 

A  second  catch  by  the  same  baseman  in  the  same  play  does  not 
score. 

It  is  a  foul  (a)  to  take  more  than  one  step  with  ball;  (b)  to" 
hold  it  longer  than  3  seconds;  (c)  to  touch  it  while  held  by  an 
opponent;  (d)  to  touch  or  trip  an  opponent;  (e)  for  guards  to 
step  into  neutral  or  opponent's  territory;  (f)'for  guards  to  step 
into  a  base;  (g)  for  a  baseman  to  step  out  of  his  base  with  both 
feet  at  a  time. 

BASKETBALL 

The  rules  for  basketball  are  too  many  to  give  here.  They  may 
be  found  in  No.  7  of  Group  VII,  Spalding's  Athletic  Library, 
price  10  cents.  Some  general  points  in  playing  the  game  are : 

(1)  Keep  in  the  game  every  minute,  and  be  quick  in  thought, 
as  well  as  in  action. 

(2)  Use  team  work.     Do  not  try  too  long  throws,  but  pass 
the  ball  to  your  team-mate.     Work  for  the  success  of  the  team. 

(3)  Play  fairly,  and  do  not  be  too  rough. 

(4)  Do  not  run  or  walk  with  the  ball. 

(5)  Practise  to  be  accurate  as  well  as  quick. 

(6)  Warm  up  before  a  game. 

(7)  Learn   the   rules,   and  jplay  by  them.-    Do   not   complain 
of  officials. 

DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  BOYS'   AND  GIRLS'  BASKETBALL 

(1)  Boys  are  allowed  to  run  all  over  the  court,  and  the  field 
is  not  divided  into  three  courts.     The  number  of  players  for  boys 
is  five  on  a  side;  for  girls,  five,  six,  seven,  or  nine  on  a  side. 

(2)  Length  of  halves  is  greater  for  boys. 

(3)  Rules  for  out-of-bounds  and  fouls  as  to  guarding  are  not 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics 


35 


as  strict  for  boys,  thus  making  the  game  much  more  strenuous  for 
them,  than  for  girls. 

The  basketball  rules  for  girls  are  found  in  Group  VII,  No.  7A 
of  the  Spalding  Athletic  Library. 

BOUNDARY   BALL 

Played  with  a  Basketball. 

Boundary  ball  is  good  training  for  basketball.  It  may  be  played 
by  from  six  to  fifty  on  a  side.  Divide  the  field  into  two  equal 
parts.  Place  a  team  in  parallel  lines  in  each  half  of  the  field,  the 
front  line  being  10  feet  back  of  center  line. 

One  player  stands  on  his  front  line  and  starts  game  by  trying 
to  throw  ball  so  that  it  will  fall  to  the  ground  beyond  the  op- 
ponents' rear  boundary  line.  The  opponents  may  move  up  and 
down  field  to  prevent  this  or  to  catch  the  ball.  Where  it  is  caught, 
that  team  lines  up  there  and  back  of  the  spot  where  ball  was 
caught,  and  the  player  tries  to  throw  the  ball  back  over  the  rear 
line  of  opponents.  Each  time  ball  falls  over  opponent's  rear 
boundary  line,  it  counts  one  point,  and  a  game  is  five  points.  It 
is  a  foul  to  go  into  opponent's  territory  or  beyond  one's  rear 
boundary  line.  On  a  foul,  ball  goes  to  opponents  for  a  throw, 

CORNER   BALL 

Played  by  a  basketball,  with  from  six  to  fifty  on  a  side.  Di- 
vide field  into  two  equal  parts,  and  in  rear  corners  mark  off 


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Figure  No.  7.     Corner  Ball. 


36  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

goals  4  feet  square.  Players  stand  at  even  distances  over  field, 
one  team  one  each  side  of  center  line,  except  that  a  goal  man  is 
in  each  goal  at  rear  of  opponent's  field.  The  ball  is  started  as 
in  end  ball,  by  a  player  at  center.  Each  side  tries  to  throw  ball 
over  opponents  to  the  goal  men.  Each  time  such  a  ball  is  caught 
by  a  goal  man,  it  is  1  point,  and  a  game  equals  21  points.  When 
he  catches  the  ball  the  goal  man  tries  to  throw  it  back  to  his  side 
for  another  attempt,  and  the  other  side  tries  to  interrupt  the 
throw.  It  is  a  foul  to  step  outside  of  one's  goal  or  for  another 
player  to  step  into  his  opponent's  goal.  On  a  foul,  the  ball  goes 
to  the  other  side  for  a  throw  from  the  center. 

You  must  not  run  with  the  ball.  Have  team  work.  Do  not 
throw  too  far,  but  pass  to  team-mates.  Do  not  bunch  up.  Make 
your  throws  high  and  well  aimed. 

PASS   AND    GOAL   BALL 

This  is  a  most  excellent  game,  combining  as  it  does  the  three 
features  of  speed,  accuracy, '  and  interest.  Another  advantage  is 
that  a,  large  number  may  take  part. 

Each  team  has  a  basketball  and-  basketball  goal.  Each  team 
lines  up  in  single  file  back  of  its  goal,  with  nearest  man  6  feet 
from  the  goal,  and  the  players  at  equal  distances  apart.  The  ball 
is  passed  from  the  player  farthest  from  the  goal  to  the  next  man, 
and  so  on  until  it  reaches  the  one  nearest  the  goal,  who  tries  to 
throw  the  ball  in  the  basket,  and  keeps  trying  till  he  succeeds. 
He  then  runs  to  the  rear  of  the  line,  and  passes  the  ball  to  the 
next  man,  who  passes  it  to  the  next,  and  so  on,  each  man  having 
moved  up  one  place.  When  the  last  player  has  made  the  goal  and 
raced  back  to  the  rear  of  the  line,  the  game  is  over,  and  the  side 
which  finished  first,  wins. 

FOOTBALL 

It  is  unnecessary  in  this  Bulletin  to  discuss  the  rules  of  football, 
or  to  give  hints  on  the  game,  as  it  cannot  be  learned  except  under 
a  coach  who  already  knows  the  game  well.  It  is  a  game  full  of 
good  features,  and  one  also  attended  with  grave  dangers  when  not 
handled  properly.  One  great  objection  to  football  as  a  school 
game  comes  from  the  keen  rivalry  and  the  anxiety  to  win,  which 
is  liable  to  lead  teachers  as  well  as  students  to  give  too  much  time 
to  it,  to  resort  to  questionable  means  in  order  to  win,  and  to 
harbor  suspicions  and  ill-feeling  against  opposing  teams.  There 
is  really  no  necessity  for  such  a  state  of  affairs,  and  teachers  and 
students  alike  are  appealed  to,  to  unite  in  an  effort  to  raise  this 
fine  game  above  the  reproaches  to  which  it  is  sometimes  subjected 
because  of  the  over-zealous  efforts  to  win.  Let  us  keep  always 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  37 

uppermost  in  our  minds  the  determination  to  play  fairly  and  to 
have  respect  for  officials.  Always  have  a  thorough  understanding 
with  opposing  teams  as  to  terms  and  rules  before  the  game,  and 
then  when  it  is  over  abide  by  the  result.  Always  let  the  visiting 
team  be  treated  as  guests,  both  before  and  after  the  game.  See 
that  every  precaution  is  taken  to  keep  the  field  clear  of  spectators, 
and  let  coaches  impress  upon  their  players  the  principles  of  clean 
playing.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  to 'go  outside  of  the  school 
faculty  to  get  a  coach,  let  him  and  the  principal  have  a  thorough 
understanding  as  to  the  conduct  of  players,  time  of  practice,  eligi- 
bility list,  and  schedule.  Let  the  arrangement  with  other  teams 
always  be  between  faculty  managers  and  not  students,  and  let 
these  arrangements  be  made  as  far  ahead  as  possible.  Do  not 
schedule  more  than  six  or  eight  games  with  other  schools  during 
a  season.  Encourage  class  games.  In  the  cities  there  could  be 
a  series  of  games  among  the  ward  schools. 

Extra  precaution  must  be  taken  against  over-exertion,  especiallly 
l.y  younger  boys  and  by  those  who  have  been  injured.  No  boy 
should  be  allowed  in  a  football  game  who  is  not  of  high  vitality 
and  free  from  constitutional  weakness,  and  in  every  case  a  player 
who  has  been  injured  should  be  compelled  to  leave  the  game. 
Strict  insistence  should  be  made  upon  scholastic  standards  on  the 
part  of  high  school  players.  Not  only  will  this  help  the  school 
studies,  but  it  will  help  to  keep  down  professionalism.  , 

Much  will  be  accomplished  for  the  game  of  football  as  a  school 
sport,  when  schools  throughout  the  State  observe  uniform  and  strict 
eligibility  rules.  To  stimulate  interest  in  the  matter,  teams  were 
invited  to  compete  for  a  final  championship  game  in  1913,  played 
at  the  University  of  Texas.  At  the  State  Teachers'  Association  in 
Dallas,  on  November  29,  1913,  an  Athletic  Council  was  created  to 
draw  up  a  detailed  plan  for  football,  baseball,  and  other  contests 
not  provided  for  in  the  Constitution  and  Eules  of  the  University 
Interscholastic  League.  This  council  is  composed  of  five  repre- 
sentatives of  high  schools,  and  the  University  director  of  inter- 
scholastic  athletics.  Since  the  council  has  not  yet  taken  action, 
its  recommendations  can  not  be  included  in  this  Bulletin. 


BASEBALL 

This  most  popular  of  all  games  requires,  as  does  football,  the 
very  closest  supervision.  It  is  not  so  strenuous  as  football,  but 
the  love  of  it  is  likely  to  lead  to  neglect  of  study  or  home  work, 
and  the  eagerness  to  win  too  often  overcomes  the  sense  of  fair 
play  and  the  spirit  of  good  will  towards  opponents.  To  remedy 
this,  try  to  make  interclass  games  popular,  .and  do  not  give  all  the 
time  to  training  a  single  winning  team. 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


TENNIS 


This  is  deservedly  a  most  popular  game,  with  old  and  young 
alike.  It  affords  plenty  of  exercise  without  being  too  strenuous. 
':  is  a  scientific  game,  and  requires  constant  practise  to  make  per- 
fect. A  successful  tennis  player  must  have  speed,  accuracy,  and 
must  be  able  to  act  and  to  think  quickly.  In  doubles,  he  must 
also  be  able  to  play  with  his  partner;  i.  e.,  he  must  develop  team 
work.  The  greatest  difficulty  with  tennis  as  a  school  game  is, 
that  only  a  very  few  can  play  at  a  time.  The  tennis  rules  are 
found  m  No.  4,  Spalding's  Athletic  Library. 


ATHLETICS  FOR  GIRLS 

Until  recently,  little  attention  was  given  to  athletics  for  girls. 
But  we  recognize  now  the  truth  that  girls'  athletics  are  equally 
important  with  athletics  for  boys,  although  for  somewhat  differ- 
ent reasons.  A  boy's  athletics  afford  an  outlet  for  his  inherited 
fighting  instinct,  and  must  be  more  or  less  violent  and  the  rivalry 
keen.  But  for  girls  it  is  not  the  case.  Great  harm  has  been  done 
to  girls'  athletics  by  making  them  merely  an  imitation  of  boys' 
athletics.  For  girls,  no  events  should  be  included  that  call  for 
violent  effort  or  great  endurance.  Interclass  contests  are  prefer- 
able to  inter-school  contests.  Team  games  are  better  than  indi- 
vidual rivalry,  and  games  in  which  large  numbers  can  take  part 
are  most  to  be  encouraged.  Aside  irom  the  folk  dances  and  sing- 
ing games  which  should  occupy  a  prominent  part  on  the  program, 
the  following  is  suggested  as  a  suitable  list  of  events  for  a  girls' 
.athletic  meet : 

Fifth  and  Sixth  Grades 

Thirty-yard  and  fifty -yard  dash. 

Walking  with  hands  suspended  from  horizontal  ladder. 

Relay  race   (each  girl  running  30  yards). 

Shuttle  relay. 

Potato  relay. 

Seventh  Grade 

Fifty-yard  and  sixty-vard  dash. 

Volley  ball. 

Potato  race. 

Basketball  throw. 

Walking  with  hands  suspended  from  horizontal  ladder. 

Relay  race   (each  running  30  yards). 

Basketball. 

Bean  bag  target  toss. 

Potato  shuttle  relay. 

Eighth  and  Ninth  Grades 
Knd  ball. 
Volley  ball. 
Pass  ball  relay. 
Pass  and  goal  ball. 
Basketball  throw. 
Basketball. 
Tennis. 


40  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Tenth  and  Eleventh  Grades 
Volley  ball. 
Pass  ball  relay. 
All-up  relay. 
Shuttle  relay. 
Easketball  throw. 
Corner  ball  or  end  ball. 
Pass  and  goal  ball. 
Captain  ball. 
Tennis. 


GROUP-AVERAGE  CONTESTS 

These  contests  are  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  entire  body 
of  students  to  take  part  in  games  and  athletics.  Since  they  reach 
those  students  who  need  attention  most,  such  contests  should  re- 
ceive every  encouragement  from  the  teacher. 

The  groups  may  be  on  basis  of  school,  grade,  age,  weight,  or 
height.  Where  there  is  competition  among  several  schools  for  the 
highest  school  average,  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  make  any  di- 
vision as  to  weight,  class,  etc.,  if  the  schools  are  anything  like  the 
same  size  and  kind. 

At  least  80  per  cent  of  a  group  should  be  required  to  take  part 
in  each  event  selected.  The  average  is  found  by  adding  the  total 
number  of  points  made  in  each  event,  dividing  this  by  the  number 
taking  part  or  by  80  per  cent  of  the  group  where  less  than  80  per 
c-'ent  take  part,  and  then  dividing  the  sum  of  averages  in  the  vari- 
ous events  by  the  number  of  events.  ^The  result  would  be  the  all- 
round  class  or  school  average. 

There  may  be  competition  between  classes  in  a  school,  or  be- 
tween different  schools  as  to  highest  average  made  by  any  one 
class.  For  instance,  there  may  be  a  contest  between  the  sixth 
and  seventh  grades  in  a  school  for  the  highest  average,  giving  a 
slight  handicap  in  favor  of  the  sixth  grade,  or  in  favor  of  all  in 
either  grade  who  are  below  a  certain  weight  or  height.  There 
may  be  contests  between  all  the  high  school  grades  on  the  same 
basis.  Several  schools  may  compete  for  the  highest  average  made 
by  some  particular  grade,  or  by  a  particular  weight  or  height 
class. 

A  plan  for  a  county-wide  contest  in  this  most  desirable  form  of 
athletics  was  first  worked  out  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Allen  and  adopted  by 
the  schools  of  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1910.  So  successful 
did  it  prove  and  so  obvious  were  its  good  points  that  county 
schools  in  various  parts  of  the  country  have  recently  adopted  it. 
A  description  of  the  plan  mentioned  may  be  had  from  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Press,  at  124  East  Twenty-eigth  Street  New  York,  for  10 
cents. 

The  plan  mentioned  above  is  for  boys  only.  Below  is  given  a 
modified  form  of  the  plan,  made  simpler  by  reducing  the  five 
weight  classes  to  three  and  containing  a  Girls'  Division.  A  num- 
ber of  schools  in  Van  Zandt  county,  Texas,  and  in  various  other 
parts  of  the  State,  have  organized  for  these  contests  during  1913-4. 

CLASS    ATHLETICS    FOR    HIGHEST    AVERAGE    STANDING    IN    A    COUNTY 

General  Rules 

1.  Eligibility. — Every  boy  weighing  60  pounds  and  every  girl 
9  years  old  or  over  are  eligible,  unless  pronounced  by  teacher  or 


42  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

physician  to  be  physically  unfit,  or  unless  written  objection  is  made 
by  the  parent. 

2.  Every  eligible  pupil  competes  in  each  event. 

3.  The  record  in  each   event   is   found  by   dividing  the  total 
number  of  points  made  by  all  pupils  in  a  class  by  the  number  tak- 
ing part  or  by  the  number  of  eligibles.     If  the  number  of  eligibles 
is  less  than  80  per  cent  of  the  class,  divide  by  the  number  repre- 
senting 8'0  per  cent  of  the  class. 

4.  The  records  for  all  events,  for  a  class,  is  found  by  dividing 
the  sum  of  records  in  the  various  events,  by  the  number  of  events, 
or  by  four  for  boys  and  three  for  girls.     The  school  record  for 
Boys7   or  Girls'   Division,   is   found    by   dividing  the   sum   of  the 
records  of  the  three  classes  of  a  division  by  three.     The  All-Bound 
School   Record  is  found  by  averaging  the  records   of   Boys7   and 
Girls'  Divisions. 

5.  For  boys,  there  are  three  weight  classes,  as  follows :     100-lb. 
class,  or  all  weighing  60  Ibs.  and  not  over  100  Ibs.     125-lb.  class, 
or  all  weighing  over  100  lf!s.  and  not  over  125  Ibs.     Unlimited 
class,  or  all  weighing  over  125  Ibs. 

6.  For  girls,  there  are  three  classes  according  to  age,  as  fol- 
lows:    12-year  class,  or  all  9  years  old  and  not  13.     14-year  class, 
or  all  13  years  old  and  not  15.     Unlimited  class,  or  all  15  and  over. 

7.  A  boy  is  weighed  on  the  day  of  the  first  event.     He  must  be 
weighed  by  the  teacher,  and  must  be  in  his  shirt  sleeves  and  with 
shoes  on.     A  girl's  class  is  determined  by  her  age  on  the  day  of 
the  first  event. 

8.  There  are  four  events  for  boys  and  three  for  girls.     The 
first  event  in  each  division  must  be  held  by  January  24,  and  the 
last  event  by  March  22.     Xo  two  events  for  one  division  must  be 
held  nearer  together  than  two  weeks. 

9.  After  each  event  is  held,  the  teacher  must  -send  promptly  to 
the  office  of  the  Director  a  complete  record  of  the  event,  according 
to  forms  furnished  by  him. 

10.  Each  contestant  scoring  50  points  in  each  event  will  be 
placed  in  the  Honor  List  as  being  up  to  the  average  all-round 
athlete  standard,  and  each  boy  or  girl  who  scores  100  points  in 
each  event  will  be  placed  in  the  100-Point  Class  and  presented 
with  an  appropriate  badge  for  the  actual  cost  of  the  badge,  which 
will  not  be  more  than  15  cents. 

11.  A  complete  record  of   each   contestant  will  be   preserved, 
and  his  or  her  ranking  with  all  the  contestants  of  the  county  will 
be  made. 

12.  Championships. —  (1)      The    weight-    or    age-cla<ss    having 
highest  ranking  in  a  school  is  Weight-  or  Age-Class  Champion  of 
the  School. 

(2)     The   weight-or   age-class   having   highest   ranking    of   all 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  43 

schools  in  the  same  weight-  or  age-class  will  be  Weight-  or  Age- 
Class  Champion  of  the  County  for  that  weight-  or  age  class. 

(3)  The   weight-  or  -age-class   having  highest  ranking  of   all 
weight-  or  age-classes  of  all  schools  will  be  All-Round-Weight-  or 
Age  Class  Champion  of  the  County. 

(4)  '  The  school  having  highest  ranking  in  Boys'  or  Girls'  Di- 
vision, of  all  schools  in  the  county,  will  be  School  Champion  of 
the  County  in  that  division. 

(5)  The   school  having  highest  average  ranking  in  both  di- 
visions will  be  Ail-Round  School  Champion  of  the  County. 

(6)  The  individual  having  highest  standing  in  the  school  in 
his  or  her  division  will  be  Individual  Champion  of  the  School  for 
that  division. 

(7)  The  individual  having  highest  standing  in  his  class  in  the 
county  will  be  individual  champion  of  the  county  for  that  class. 

(8)  The  individual  having  highest  standing  in  the  county  for 
all  classes  will  be  All-Round  Individual  Champion  of  the  County. 

BOYS'  DIVISION 
Events  and  basis  of  scoring  are  given  below : 

100-lb.  Class—  Honor 

Points.         Standard.  100  Points. 

Standing  broad  jump   3  ft.  11  in.      6  ft.  8  ft.    1  in. 

80-yd.  dash  14  sec.  12  sec.         10  sec. 

Chinning   3  times  7  times      11  times 

Baseball  throw  100  ft.  150  ft.         200  ft. 

125  Ib.  Class- 
Standing  broad  jump 4  ft.  8  in.  6  ft.  6  in.     8  ft,  10  in. 

100-yd.  dash  15f  sec.  13f  sec.        llf  sec. 

Chinning 4  times  8  times      12  times 

Running  broad  jump 8  ft.  6  in.     12  ft.  8  in.     16  ft.  10  in. 

Unlimited  Class — 

Standing  broad  jump 5  ft,  5  in.  7  ft.  6  in.     9  ft,  7  in. 

100-yd.  dash  14  sec.  12  sec.         10  sec. 

Running  high  jump 3  ft.  3-J  in.  4  ft.  4  in.     5  ft.  4-J  in. 

Putting  8-lb.  shot '  22  ft.    6  in.    35  ft.  47  ft.    6  in. 

Points  shall  be  scored  as  follows : 

Dashes,  for  each  J  sec.  better  than  minimum.  .' 5  pts. 

Standing  broad  jump,  for  each  J  in.  better  than  minimum.  .1  pt. 

Chinning,  for  each  time  better  than  minimum 12^  pts. 

Running  broad  jump,  for  each  inch  better  than  minimum ...  1  pt. 
Running  high  jump,  for  each  £  in.  better  than  minimum ...  1  pt. 
Putting  8-lb.  shot,  for  each  3  inches  better  than  minimum.  .1  pt. 
Baseball  throw,  for  each  foot  better  than  minimum 1  pt. 


44  Bulletin  of  tlie  University  of  Texas 

RULES   GOVERNING  THE   EVENTS 

The  regular  rules  in  the  Constitution  and  Eules  of  the  Univer- 
sity Interscholastic'  League  will  govern  the  events  in  this  contest, 
except  as  modified  by  the  following: 

(1)  A  stop-watch  must  be  used  in  the  running  events.     Where 
only  one  stop-watch  is  used.,  each  contestant  must  run  alone. 

(2)  In  the  running  high  jump,  a  string  or  rope  must  not  be 
used  in  place  of  a  cross  bar. 

(3)  Baseball   Throw. — Two  lines  are   made,   a  throwing  line 
and   another   15   feet   back.    A   boy  may   start   at   the  back  line 
and  run  to  the  throwing  line.     He  must  not  step  over  the  line  in 
throwing.     Only  a  Spalding  or  Beach  regulation  ball  is  allowed. 

GIRLS'  DIVISION 
The  events  with  basis  of  scoring  are  as  follows: 

12-Yr.  Class—  Honor 

Points.  Standard.  100  Points. 

Basketball  throw    12ft.  22ft.           32ft. 

Potato  race    45  sec.  43  sec'.         41  sec. 

Standing  broad  jump 3  ft.  8  in.  5  ft,  9  in.     7  ft,  10  in. 

14- Yr    Class- 
Basketball   throw    18ft.  28ft.  38ft, 

Potato   race    42  sec.  40  sec.  38  sec. 

All-up  Indian  club  race 32  sec.  30  sec.  28  sec. 

Unlimited  Class — 

Basketball  throw    24  ft.  34  ft.  44  ft. 

All-up  Indian  club  race 30f  sec.  28f  sec.        26f  sec. 

Bean  bag  target  toss 30  points  in     65  points     100  points  in 

If  minutes,  in  same  time,  same  time. 

Points  shall  be  scored  as  follows : 

Basketball  throw,  for  each  foot  better  than  minimum 5  pts. 

Potato  race,  for  each  J  sec.  better  than  minimum 5  pts. 

All-up  Indian  club  race,  for  each  £  sec.  better  than  minimum .  5  pts. 
Standing  broad  jump,  for  each  J  in.  better  than  minimum .  .  1  pt. 

Bean  bag  target  toss,  for  each  toss  give  points  as  per  description 
given  below.  Give  no  points  for  a  score  of  not  over  30  in  the 
time  limit  of  If  minutes. 

RULES  GOVERNING  THE  EVENTS 

1.  Baselcet  ball  Throw. — A  girl  must  stand  back  of  the  throw- 
ing line  and  throw  with  one  hand.  She  must  not  run  before  the 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  45 

throw.     She  must  not  step  over  the  line  in  throwing;  to  do  so  is 
a  trial  without  result.     Three  trials  are  allowed. 

(2)  Potato  Race. — At  one  end  of  a  line  20  yards  long,  place 
a  basket  containing  three  potatoes.  Draw  three  2-foot  circles  at 
intervals  of  5  yards  along  this  line,  the  nearest  one  being  5  yards 
.from  the  basket.  At  the  opposite  end  of  the  line  from  the  basket 
is  the  starting  line.  The -circle  nearest  to  starting  line  is  No.  1, 
the  next  No.  2,  and  the  next  No.  3.  A  girl  starts  at  the  starting 
line,  runs  to  the  basket,  gets  one  potato  and  places  it  in  circle 


Figure  No.  8.     Potato  Race. 

No.  1.  She  then  gets  another  and  places  it  in  circle  No.  2,  and 
then  places  the  third  potato  in  circle  No.  3,  passing  between  basket 
and  starting  line  each  time.  She  then  runs  to  starting  line,  and 
returns  and  replaces  potato  No.  1  in  the  basket,  then  No.  2,  then 
No.  3,  passing  around  the  basket  each  time.  She  then  finishes  in 
a  dash  across  the  starting  line.  Only  one  trial  allowed. 

3.  All-up  Indian  Club  Race. — Two  tangent  circles,  each  3  feet 
in  diameter,  are  30  feet  in  front  of  starting  line.    In  one  circle 
are  three  1-lb.  model  BS  Indian  clubs,  upright.     A  girl  runs  from 
starting  line,  and  transfers  clubs  to  the  other  circle,  using  only 
one  hand.     She  returns  to  the  starting  line,  then  makes  two  more 
trips,  transferring  clubs  each  time.     The  clubs  must  be  left  up- 
right each  time.     She  then  finishes  in  a  dash  across  the  starting 
line.     One  trial  allowed. 

4.  Bean  Bag  Target  Toss. — Draw  on  the  ground  three  concen- 
tric circles,  with  diameters  of  2  feet,  4  feet,  and  6  feet,  respec- 
tively.    A  girl  stands  back  of  a  line   10  feet  from  outer  circle, 
and  tosses   a  bean  bag  6  inches  square  and  containing  -J-lb.   of 
beans.     If   the   bag   falls  .within   the    inner  circle,    it   counts    15 
points ;  if  between  the  inner  and  middle  circle,  it  counts  10  points, 
and  if  between  middle  and  outer  circle  it  counts  5  points.     Only 
1J  minutes  are  allowed  each  contestant.     After  each  throw  a  girl 
must  run  and  pick  up  her  bag  and  return  to  throwing  line.     Two 
trials  are  allowed. 

HOW  TO   PROCEED 


After   enrolling   your   school   for   the   contest,   provide   the 
an-  things,  such  as  stop-watch,  measuring  tape,  jumping  pit, 


1. 

necessary 
basketball,  shot,  etc. 

2.  Make  a  short  talk  to  the  pupils,  explaining  the  contests. 

3.  Get  prizes  offered  for  the  winning  classes  and  individuals. 


46  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

4.  Weigh  the  boys  so  as  to  give  them  an  idea  of  what  class 
they  will  be  in.     Classify  the  girls  by  age. 

5.  Appoint  leaders  of  the  various  classes. 

6.  Hold  preliminary  contests  to  let  the  pupils  know  what  they 
can  do. 

7.  Provide   the   following  blanks,   either   from   the  county  di- 
rector, or  the  State  director: 

(a)  Individual  Record  Cards. 

(b)  School  Report. 

(c)  Detailed  School  Record. 

8.  On  the  day  of  the  contest,  weigh  each  boy  and  assign  to 
proper   class. 

9.  Give  list  of   eligibles  in   each   class   and  list   of  those   ex- 
cused. 

10.  In  holding  the  test,  be  very  careful  to  be  as  accurate  as 
possible.     Record  each  pupil's  effort. 

11.  Make  out  complete  report  of  the  test  as  per  forms  sup- 
plied, and  send  to  the  Secretary  or  Director  promptly. 

OTHER    EVENTS    FOR    CLASS-AVERAGE    CONTESTS 

Where  there  are  several  grades  or  classes  in  the  same  school, 
or  several  wards  in  a  city  or  town,  competitive  games  may  be  used 
for  class-average  contests.  Some  such  games,  in  which  large  num- 
bers majr  take  part,  are:  End  ball,  corner  ball,  all-up  relay,  pass 
ball  relay,  shuttle  relay,  potato  shuttle  relay,  single  relay,  volley 
Kail,  tug-of-war,  pass  and  goal  ball. 

Sometimes,  in  order  to  stimulate  interest,  it  is  desirable  to 
have  a  somewhat  different  method  of  finding  the  class  standing 
than  that  described  above,  where  competitive  games  are  used.  For 
instance,  in  such  contests  as  the  relays  mentioned  above,  it  may 
be  desirable  to  allow  10  points  to  the  winning  class  in  a  dual 
contest,  and  require  three  games  to  be  played  by  each  class.  If 
a  class  wins  three  games,  its  average  standing  is  30.  If  a  class 
does  not  win  a  game,  its  class  standing  is  zero.  This  method  is 
simpler  than  others,  but  not  quite  as  satisfactory  in  determining 
the  real  amount  of  proficiency  shown  by  each  class. 

In  volley  ball,  large  classes  may  be*  divided  and  opposing  sec- 
tions in  two  classes  paired  off  by  lot,  each  side  being  entitled  to 
all  the  points  it  makes,  and  the  winner  being  given  five  additional 
points.  Basketball  may  be  used  in  the  same  way,  as  also  end 
ball,  corner  ball,  and  captain  ball. 


ATHLETIC  BADGE  TEST  FOR  BOYS 

To  encourage  the  boys  of  ordinary  or  undeveloped  physical 
powers  to  practise  to  attain  greater  all-round  efficiency,  the  Play- 
ground Association  of  America  recently  adopted  a  standard  for 
three  different  stages  of  development,,  and  offered  a  suitable  badge 
to  every  boy  in  the  United  States  who  would  -qualify  in  one  of 
these  three  classes.  Below  is  given  a  similar  plan,  and  any  boy 
or  girl  in  any  school  that  is  a  member  of  the  University  Inter- 
scholastic  League  may  obtain  one  or  more  of  the  three  badges 
upon  qualifying  for  the  same. 

Class  A 

Chinning,  4  times. 

Standing  broad  jump,  5  feet  9  inches. 
Sixty-yard  dash,  9  seconds. 

Class  B 

Chinning,  6  times. 

Standing  broad  jump,  6  feet  6  inches. 
One-hundred-yard  dash,  14  seconds. 

Class  C 

Chinning,  9  times. 
Kuning  high  jump,  4  feet  4  inches. 
Two-hundred-twenty-yard  run,  28  seconds. 

Provisions  as  to  the  Badge  Tests. — (1)  To  secure  one  of  the 
badges,  a  boy  must  be  in  regular  attendance  at  a  school  in  the 
Universit}-  Interscholastic  League.  (2)  He  must  qualify  in  all 
three  events  in  a  class.  (3)  The  tests  must  be  made  under  the 
direction  of  the  teacher.  (4)  The  teacher  must  certify  to  the 
University  Director  of  Interscholastic  Athletics  that  the  boy  has 
qualified  for  the  badge  applied  for  according  to  the  requirements. 
(5)  For  chinning,  the  rules  governing  that  event  found  elsewhere 
in  this  Bulletin  must  be  observed;  so  also  in  the  broad  and  high 
jumps.  Only  one  trial  shall  be  allowed  in  chinning,  one  in  the 
running  events,  and  three  in  the  jumps.  (6)  .  In  the  running 
o vents,  a  stop-watch  must  be  used.  (7)  Only  one  badge  may  be 
obtained  by  the  same  boy  in  any  one  year. 

The  Badges. — On  qualifying  in  any  one  of  the  three  classes,  a 
boy  may  secure  from  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  University 
Interscholastic  League  a  bronze  badge  with  suitable  inscription, 
by  payment  of  15  cents  to  cover  the  actual  cost  of  making  it. 
All  the  badges  are  of  bronze,  but  of  different  design.  They  are 


48  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

inexpensive,  but  neat,  and  represent  physical  attainment,  and  not 
money  value.  Each  school  in  which  pupils  win  these  badges  will 
receive  a  certificate  of  the  same,  containing  the  names  of  such 
pupils,  and  this  can  be  hung  upon  the  school  wall. 

ATHLETIC   BADGE  TEST  FOR  GIRLS 

The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Interscholastic  League  also 
offers  similar  bronze  badges  to  every  girl  in  a  school  in  the  League, 
under  the  same  general  provisions  stated  for  the  Boys'  Athletic 
Badge  Test,  except  that  the  events,  with  the  standard  in  each, 
are  as  follows : 

Class  A 

Potato  race,  42  seconds. 

All-up  Indian  club  race,  30  seconds. 

Bean  bag  target  toss,  100  points  in  2  minutes. 

Class  B 

Potato  race,  39  seconds.  • 
Basketball  throw,  36  feet. 
Balancing,  with  bean  bag  on  head,  24  feet, 

Class  C 

All-up  Indian  club  race,  26  seconds. 

Bean  bag  target  toss,  150  points,  2  minutes. 

Basketball  throw,  42  feet. 

Special  rules  for  the  Girls'  Athletic  Badge  Test  are : 

(1)  The   rules   governing   the   potato   race,   basketball   throw, 
all-up  Indian  club  race  and  bean  bag  target  toss  that  are  given 
under  Class  Athletics,  Girls'  Division,  pp.  44-45  of  this  Bulletin, 
shall  also  govern  in  this  Badge  Test. 

(2)  A  beam  or  piece  of  timber  2  feet  wide  and  12  feet  long 
is  used.     A  girl  must,  with  bean  bag  on  her  head,  start  at  the 
center,  walk  forward  to  the  end,  then  without  turning  she  must 
walk  backward  to  the  center;  then  she  must  turn  and  walk  for- 
ward to  the  end,  then  turn  and  walk  to  the  center.     Only  two 
trials  are  allowed.    The  bag  must  not  be  touched  by  the  hand. 


A  FEW  DEFINITIONS 

(1)  Amateur  and  Professional. — Briefly,   an   amateur  is   one 
who  takes  part  in  athletic  contests  for  the  love  of  them,  or  for 
the  benefit,  physically,  or  otherwise,  to  be  derived. 

A  professional  is  one  who  competes  in  athletics  for  a  living. 

In  order  to  protect  and  encourage  amateur  sport,  the  Amateur 
Athletic  Union  and  similar  organizations  have  drawn  very  strict 
lines  between  an  amateur  and  a  professional,  and  as  a  rule  those 
who  enter  contests  under  the  direction  of  amateur  organizations 
are  forbidden  to  compete  with  professionals.  An  amateur  becomes 
a  professional  when  he  competes  for  money  or  for  a  prize  of  more 
than  $35.00  in  value,  when  he  becomes  connected  with  a  pro- 
fessional club,  or  when  he  competes  with  or  against  professionals. 
The  detailed  rules  on  this  point  are  found  on  pages  98  and  99  of 
No.  12A  of  the  Spalding  Athletic  Library. 

(2)  Novice. — A  novice  is  one  who  has  never  won  a  prize  of 
any  kind  in  an  athletic  contest. 

(3)  Handicap  and  Scratch. — A  scratch  race  or  contest  is  one 
in  which  all  contestants  have  the  same  chance.     In  a  scratch  race, 
all  start  from  the  same  line  and  at  the  same  time.     A  handicap 
is  an  allowance  iri  time  or  distance  in  favor  of  one  or  more  of  the 
contestants.     Very  often  it  is  desirable  to  have  handicap  events. 
A  meet  among  the  students  of  the  same  school  or  town  where 
there  is  great  difference  as  to  ability  may  be  made  extremely  at- 
tractive and  interesting  by  having  handicap  events.     For  instance, 
suppose  in  a  100-yard  dash  there  are  five  boys,  and  at  the  time 
the  winner  crosses  the  line  No.  2  is  two  yards  behind  him,  Nos. 
3  and  4  are  each  1  yard  behind  No.  2,  and  No.  5  is  six  yards  be- 
hind Nos.  3  and  4.     Then  handicap  them  as  follows:     Set  No.  5 
on  the  line.     Set  Nos.  3  and  4  six  yards  back,  No.  2  seven  yards 
back,  and  No.  1  nine  yards  back.     That  gives  all  an  equal  chance 
to  finish  first. 


LAYING  OFF  AN  ATHLETIC  FIELD 

(a)  The  Track. — If  you  have  the  room,  a  quarter-mile  track 
is  the  most  desirable  length.     But  a  great  many  fields   are  too 
small  for  a  quarter-mile  track.     Probably  the  one  most  commonly 
practicable  is  the  track  with  six  laps  to  the  mile.     To  Lay  off  such 
a  track,  proceed  as  follows: 

On  a  line  322  feet  2  inches  long,  mark  off  A  and  B,  98  feet 
6  inches  from  each  end.  With  these  points  as  centers  describe 
semicircles  facing  each  other,  with  radius  of  98  feet  6  inches. 
Draw  tangents  to  these  semicircles  parallel  with  the  original  line. 
These  tangents,  with  the  semicircumferences,  form  the  track,  but 
it  is  measured  on  a  line  1  foot  6  inches  outward  from  the  cir- 
cumferences and  tangents.  A  straightaway  100-yard  track  can 
be  laid  off.  diagonally  across  the  field,  and  there  will  be  room  for 
jumping  pits,  pole  vault,  7  foot  circle  for  shot  put,  hammer,  etc., 
inside  the  track.  A  baseball  field  can  be  laid  off  by  starting  at 
one  end  of  the  longest  line  across  the  field,  for  the  home  base. 
Also,  a  football  field  can  be  laid  off  lengthwise  the  field.  The 
best  track  is  a  mixture  of  good  loam  with  cinders  and  a  little  clay. 
An  all-cinder  path  is  not  good,  as  it  gets  too  hard.  The  ideal 
path  is  one  that  does  not  get  hard  and  dusty  when  dry,  nor  too 
soft  when  wet. 

(b)  Jumping  Pit. — The  take-off  board   should  be   a   joist   8 
inches  wide  flush  with  the  ground,  and  the  earth  should  be  dug  out 
3  inches  deep  for  2  square  feet  in  front  of  the  take-off.     The  earth 
should  also  be  loosened  in  front  of  the  take-off  to  a  distance  of 
24  feet.     The  run-way  for  the  running  jumps  should  not  be  too 
hard,  but  the  earth  should  be  firm  enough  to  give  speed.     The 
run-way  should  be  level. 

(c)  Seven-foot  Circle. — This  should  be  not  far  from  one  cor- 
ner of  the  field,  and  the  ground  in  the  direction  of  the  throws 
should  be  level,  and  should  be  away  from  the  jumping,  pole  vault- 
ing, etc.,  so  as  not  to"  endanger  contestants  or  officials  in  those 
events. 

(d)  Baseball  Field. — If  the  same  ground  is  used  for  a  base- 
ball field  that  is  used  for  track,  let  the  line  of  home  and  second 
base  be  on  the  line  running  through  center  of  field  parallel  with 
the  tangents  as  described  above.     Place  the  home  base  34  feet  10 
and  f  inches  inside  the  field  on  this  line.     At  the  point  where 
track  begins  to  curve,  draw  a  perpendicular  to  the  straight  part 
of  track,  and  34  feet  10  and  f  inches  inside  track  on  this  line, 
place  first  base.     On  the  same  line,  34  feet  10  and  f  inches  from 
opposite  side,  place  third  base.     From  first  and  third  bases  draw 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics 


51 


52  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

perpendiculars  to  the  lines  going  from  those  bases  to  home  base. 
These  will  meet  at  second  base. 

(e)  Football  Field. — The  same  ground  may  be  used  for  foot- 
ball that  is  used  for  other  events.     It  may  be  laid  off  somewhat 
diagonally   across   the   track,   so   as   to   get   the  longest   distance. 
After  drawing  the  longest  diagonal  of  the  track,  measure  off  on 
it  360  feet.     Draw  a  parallel  to  this  line  on  each  side  80  feet 
from  it.     The  resulting  rectangle  is  the  field  of  play.     Thirty  feet 
inside  each  end  line,  draw  a  parallel  with  it.     These  are  the  goal 
lines.     The  goal  posts  are  on  the  goal  lines,  18  feet  6  inches  apart. 

(f)  Basketball,   Volley  Ball,  Etc.— These  may  be  laid  off  in 
the  opposite  corner  of  the  field  from  the  jumping  pit,  etc.,   as 
stated  above.     The  dimensions  of  a  basketball  court  may  vary  a 
little,  but  are  usually  50  by  70  feet.     A  court  should  not  exceed 
4000  square  feet.     Volley  ball  courts  vary  in  size  to  suit  the  num- 
ber of  players,  but  the  standard  court  is  25  by  50  feet.     The  de- 
tails about  dimensions,  etc.,  may  be  found  in  the  10-cent  volumes 
on  the  various  games,  published  by  the  American  Sports  Publish- 
ing Company,  New  York. 

EQUIPMENT  FOR  ATHLETIC  MEETS 

(1)  General. — To    conduct    an    athletic    meet    properly,    you 
should  have,  besides  a  well  laid  off  ground,  the  following:     Sev- 
eral steel  measuring  tapes,   plenty   of  lime   for   marking,   stakes, 
hammer,   saw,    etc.,    one   or    more    balls   of    twine,    stop-watches, 
starter's  pistol,   entry  blanks,  score  cards,  programs,  flags,  relay 
sticks,  competitors'  numbers,  and  megaphone. 

(2)  Running. — All  straightaway  races  should  be  run  in  lanes, 
one   for  each   runner,  the  lanes'  being  marked  off  with   lime   or 
whitewash  or  with  stakes.     For  the  hurdle  races,  use  ten  hurdles 
for  each  runner,  each  being  30  inches  high.     The  hurdles  can  be 
very  easily  made  by  the  students,  out  of  light  strips  of  pine,  using 
two  short  strips  at  the  bottom  of  the  frame  for  it  to  rest  on. 

(3)  Jumping. — For  the  broad  jump,  have  a  board   8  inches 
wide  and  3  feet  long  sunk  flush  with  the  earth  for  the  take-off 
board.     Fasten  the  board  in  the  ground  with  bolts  at  least  2  feet 
long.     In  the  high  jump,  make  two  uprights  as  follows:     Two 
spruce  or  pine  poles  2  inches  by  2  inches  by  8  feet  long.     Use  for 
base  of  each  upright  two  strips  22  inches  by  4  inches  by  2  inches. 
Use  ordinary  shelf  brackets  to  brace  the  uprights  on  the  bases. 
Bore  holes  through  the  uprights  1  inch  apart,  beginning  18  inches 
above  the  ground.     About  4  feet  from  ground  the  holes  should  be 
every  quarter  inch.     Eun  a  fish  cord  through  the  holes,  and  attach 
two  shot  bags  for  weights.     Be  sure  that  cord  does  not  sag  in 
the  middle.     It  is  always  best  at  important  meets  to  use  a  stick 
for  cross-bar  instead  of  a  cord,  and  the  stick  should  always  be  re- 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  53 

placed  with  the  same  side  up.  If  stick  is  used,  let  it  rest  on 
small  pegs,  which  should  point  in  the  direction  of  the  jump,  and 
reach  not  over  3  inches  from  the  uprights. 

(4)  Pole  Vault. — Uprights  for  vaulting  may  be  made  similar 
to  those 'for  jumping.     In  fact,  the  same  ones  may  be  used,  pro- 
vided they  are  high  enough.     The  pole  should  be  12  or  14  feet 
long,  and  the  best  material  is  spruce.     Each  contestant  ought  to 
have  his  own  pole. 

(5)  Weight  Events. — A  7-foot  circle  may  be  made  from  old 
wagon  tires.     The   toe   board   is   easily  made,   and   consists  of   a 
piece  of  wood  four  feet  long  and  curving  with  the  circle,  and  4 
inches  high.     As  in  the  case  of  take-off  board,  it  should  be  firmly 
fastened  to  the  ground  with  long  rods  driven  down  at  least  2  feet. 

A  shot,  hammer,  discus,  etc.,  should  be  furnished  by  the  man- 
agement of  the  meet.  But  a  contestant  may  use  his  own  ma- 
terials if  they  are  correct  in  weight,  size,  etc. 


CONDUCT  OF  AN  ATHLETIC  MEET 

Any  athletic-  meet,  whether  large  or  small,  should  be  conducted 
in  an  orderly  manner.  Otherwise,  little  will  be  accomplished,  and 
pupils  will  fail  to  get  the  lesson  of  discipline  which  is  by  no  means 
the  least  lesson  to  be  learned  from  athletic  training. 

(.1)  Organization. — The  following  committees  for  anything 
like  a  large  meet  will  be  found  helpful: 

(a)  Games  Committee. — The  central  committee,  to  look  after 
the  meet  generally,    secure  officials,   and   hear   reports    from   the 
other  committees. 

(b)  Publicity    Committee. — To    give    announcements    to    the 
press,  get  out  circulars,  and  keep  the  meet  before  the  public  in 
various  ways.     This  committee  may  also  act  as  an  Invitation  Com- 
mittee: 

(c)  Finance  Committee. — To  sell  tickets,  keep  the  gate,  take 
charge  of  money,  and  settle  bills. 

(d)  Ground  Committee. — To  see  that  the  ground  is  properly 
laid  off,  and  that  .the  necessary  equipment  is  provided. 

(2)  Officials. — The    necessar}^    officials,    together    with    their 
duties,  are  given  in  University  Bulletin- 274  containing  the  Con- 
stitution and  Rules  of  the  Interscholastic  League.     As   any  one 
desiring  this  bulletin  may  have  it  on  request,  the  matter  of  officials 
will  not  be  repeated  here. 

(3)  .Entries,  Programs,  Etc. — The   various   committees   must 
see  that  entry  blanks  are  filled  out,  programs  published,  and  con- 
testants properly  numbered. 

A   COUNTY    MEET 

(1)  Let  the  county  director  call   a  meeting  of  the  executive 
committee   early  in   the  school  year,   so   that  place   and  time   of 
meet  may  be   set,  and   steps   taken  to  enlist   a  large  number  of 
schools  in  the  meet. 

(2)  Send  to  the  schools  of  the  county  an  announcement  of 
the  meet,  with  list  of  events,  prizes,  etc.,  and  canvass  the  schools 
for  entries. 

(3)  Require  every  school  to  send  to  the  Director  two  weeks 
before  the  meet  a  list  of  contestants,  with  their  eligibility  certi- 
fied to  by  the  principal. 

(4)  Require  every  school  to  send  to  the  Director  one  week  be- 
fore the  meet  an  entry  blank  showing  the  name  of  each  contestant 
and  the  events  for  which  he  enters.     A  suitable  entry  blank  is 
given  below: 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  55 

ENTRY  LIST 

Of School 

for  the 

County  Annual  Athletic  Meet 

of  the 

UNIVERSITY  INTEBSCHOLASTIC  LEAGUE 
to  be  held  at  Hogan,  Texas,  March  6,  1914 

JUNIOR  DIVISION 

To ,  County  Director. 

DEAR  SIR:  The  following  pupils,  whose  names  appear  on  the 
-eligibility  list  sent  to  you  from  this  school,  desire  to  enter  for 
the  events  indicated: 

50-yard  dash.  Running  broad  jump. 

1.  1. 


2 2 

3 3 

4 4 

W  (5) 

Pole  vault.  Chinning  bar. 

1 ' 1 

2 2 

,3 '. 3 

4.  4. 


(3)  (6) 

100-yard  dash.  520-yard  run. 

1 1 

2      2 

3 13 

4.  4. 


56 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


(7) 

(10) 

Eunning  high  jump. 

Baseball  throw. 

1                           

1      .    . 

2       

o 

3      

3  

4 

4  

(8) 

(11) 

Standing  hop,  step  and  jump. 

Tug-of-war. 

1                       

1 

2                      

•2 

3           

3         

4       

4  

(9) 

440-yard  run. 

Half-mile  relay  race. 

1  

1  

2  

2          .    - 

3  

3       

4 

4 

,  Principal. 

(5)  As  the  time  approaches  for  the  meet,  the  various  com- 
mittees must  set  io  work  to  see  that  the  meet  is  well  advertised, 
officials  secured,  grounds  prepared,  etc.  If  it  is  necessary  to  run 
off  preliminaries,  these  may  be  set  in  the  morning,  or  possibly  in 
the  afternoon  two  hours  before  the  finals.  If  the  meet  is  large, 
and  there  are  many  contestants  in  public  speaking,  it  would  be 
desirable  to  give  two  days  to  the  meet,  devoting  the  first  day  to 
preliminaries.  The  program,  which  must  not  be  changed  after 
it  is  published,  should  give  the  names  of  contestants  in  each 
event,  with  their  number  and  school. 

Below  is  a  model  program : 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics 


57 


PROGRAM 

Boys'  Junior  Division 

(FINALS) 


When 
called. 

Events. 

School. 

No. 

Names. 

P.  M. 

2:30 

50-yard  dash 

• 

2:35 

Pole  vault 

2:45 

100-yard  dash 

2:55 

Running 
broad  jump 

Chinning 

3:30 

220-yard  run 

3:40 

Running 
high  jump 

4:00 

Standing  hop, 
stepandjump 

4:10 

440-yard  run 

4:20 

Baseball 
throw 

4:35 

Tug-of-war 

5:00 

Half-mile 
relay 

Co.  Annual  Athletic  meet, 

Texas,  March  6,  1914. 


MODEL  CONSTITUTION  FOR  A  SCHOOL  ATHLETIC 
ASSOCIATION 

ARTICLE  I.     NAME 
SECTION    1.     The    name    of    this    organization    shall    be    the 


ARTICLE  II.     OBJECT 

SECTION  1.  The  object  of  this  organization  shall  be  to  promote 
and  control  athletic  exercises  among  the  students  of  this  school. 

ARTICLE  III.     MEMBERSHIP 

SECTION  1.  Any  student,  teacher,  or  trustee  of  this  school  may 
become  a  member  of  this  organization  by  the  payment  of  an 
annual  membership'  fee  of 

SEC.  2.  Any  former  student,  teacher,  or  trustee  of  this  school, 
or  other  citizen  of  this  community  may  become  an  honorary  mem- 
ber of  this  school  by  a  two-thirds  vote  at  a  regular  meeting. 

SEC.  3.  Any  member  may  be  expelled  from  [his  organization 
by  a  two- thirds  vote. 

ARTICLE  IV.     EIGHTS  AN^D  PRIVILEGES  OF  MEMBERS 

SECTION  1.  Every  member  of  this  organization  may  use  the 
grounds,  apparatus,  etc.,  in  the  possession  or  control  of  the  club, 
under  the  rules  governing  the  same  that  may  be  made. 

SEC.  2.  Every  member  in  good  standing  may  vote  or  hold 
office. 

SEC.  3.  No  member  not  in  good  standing  shall  vote  or  hold 
office. 

ARTICLE  V.     MEETINGS 

SECTION    1.     The    regular    meetings    of    this    club    shall    be 


SEC.  2.     At  the  request  of members,  the  President  shall 

call  a  meeting. 

SEC.  3.     A  quorum  shall  consist  of members  in  good 

standing. 

ARTICLE  VI.     OFFICERS 

SECTION  1.  The  officers  shall  be  a  President,  Vice-President, 
Secretary,  Treasurer,  Sergeant-at-Arms,  and  Games  Committee. 

SEC.  2.  The  Games  Committee  shall  consist  of  the  President 
and  four  (4)  other  members. 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  59 

ARTICLE  VII.     ELECTIONS 

SECTION  1.  Officers  shall  be  elected  every  three  months  dur- 
ing the  session  of  school. 

SEC.  2.  Should  any  officer  he  absent  without  a  reasonable  ex- 
cuse from  two  consecutive  regular  meetings,  his  office  shall  be 
declared  vacant. 

SEC.  3.  An  officer  shall  hold  office  till  his  successor  has  been 
elected. 

ARTICLE  VIII.     DUTIES  OF  OFFICERS 

SECTION  1.  The  President  (here  insert  the  customary  duties 
of  such  officer). 

SEC.  2.  The  Vice-President  (here  insert  the  customary  duties 
of  such  officer) . " 

S'EC.  3.  The  Secretary  (-here  insert  the  customary  duties  of 
such  officer). 

SEC.  4.  The  Treasurer  (here  insert  the  customary  duties  of 
such  officer). 

SEC.  5.  The  Games  Committee  shall  act  as  advisory  council 
to  the  President  and  managers  of  various  athletic  sports.  It  shall 
act  as  the  assistant  to  the  President  in  the  execution  of  his  duties, 
and  shall  have  power  to  control  and  conduct  such  athletic 
contests  as  this  organization  may  see  fit  to  authorize.  This  com- 
mittee may  approve  or  reject  the  schedule  proposed  by  the  man- 
ager of  any  sport. 

SEC.  6.  The  manager  of  each  sport  or  team  shall  be  the  imme- 
diate executive  officer  of  such  sport  or  team,  and  shall  perform 
the  customary  duties  of  such  officer. 

ARTICLE  VIII 

This  Constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  those 
present  and  voting,  provided  the  amendment  was  read  at  a  pre- 
ceding regular  meeting. 

BY-LAWS 
ARTICLE  I.     DUES 

SECTION  1.     The  regular  dues  shall  be 

SEC.  2.  Any  member  in  arrears  to  the  amount  of 

shall  be  notified  and  unless  giving  satisfactory  reasons  for  same 
shall  be  dropt  from  active  membership. 

ARTICLE  II.     CONTESTS  AUTHORIZED 

SECTION  1.  This  organization  authorizes  the  following  inter- 
school  games  and  contests:  Football,  baseball,,  basketball  (girls' 
and  boys'),  tennis,  volley  ball,  track  meets. 


60  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

ARTICLE  III.     ELIGIBILITY  TO  CONTESTS 


1.  No  one  shall  take  part  in  any  game  or  contest  who 
is  not  an  undergraduate  student  at  this  school,  under  21  years  of 
age,  and  who  is  passing  in  three  full  courses. 

SEC.  2.  No  one  shall  take  part  in  any  game  or  contest  who  has 
not  attended  this  school  at  least  one-half  of  the  time  since  the 
beginning  of  the  term  or  one-half  of  the  past  two  months. 

SEC.  3.  No  one  shall  take  part  in  any  game  or  contest  who 
has  ever  competed  for  money,  or  for  a  prize  of  more  than  $35.00 
in  value,  or  who  has  ever  taught  or  assisted  in  teaching  athletic 
exercises  for  money. 


PLAYGROUND  EQUIPMENT 

A  bulletin  dealing  exclusively  with  playgrounds  and  playground  ' 
games  will  be  published  by  the  University  Extension  Department 
in  the  near  future,  hence  only  a  few  general  points  will  be  given 
here. 

Playground  equipment  and  playground  apparatus  are  not  the 
same.  Equipment  includes  the  idea  of  efficiency,,  while  apparatus 
includes  merely  the  mechanical  appliances. 

The  first  essential  in  playground  equipment,  granted  that  we  have 
already  a  play  leader,  is  the  proper  division  of  the  ground.  There 
should  be  at  least  three  separate  divisions:  (1)  for  the  children, 
both  boys  and  girls,  (2)  for  the  larger  girls,  and  (3)  for  the 
larger  boys.  Where  possible,  another  division  should  be  made  for 
the  intermediate  boys,  those  between  the  age  of  childhood  and  the 
age  of  youth.  Boys  of  this  period  are  likely  not  to  care  for  the 
strenuous  contests  of  the  older  boys,  neither  for  the  simpler  plays 
of  the  little  fellows.  For  this  class  it  is  well  to  have  a  separate 
place,  containing  jumping  pit,  see-saws,  swinging  rings,  and  hori- 
zontal bar  and  horizontal  ladder. 

The  children's  side  should  have  at  least"  two  sand  boxes,  built 
around  a  tree  or  near  to  the  house  so  shade  can  be  had.  The  box 
should  have  neither  top  nor  bottom.  Make  a  ^rame  out  of  four 
planks  1  foot  by  8  feet  by  1  inch,  place  frame  on  the  ground,  and 
fill  with  good  .clean  sand.  The  sand  should  not  be  dirt;  it  should 
be  the  kind  used  by  builders.  Children  should  not  be  allowed  to 
eat  lunches  in  the  box,  and  it  must  be  kept  free  from  scraps, 
paper,  etc.  It  is  best  to  leave  the  box  open  at  all  times  if  it  can 
be  kept  clean;  otherwise,  have  a  lid  to  close  it  when  school  is  not 
in  session.  Small  wooden  spades  or  shovels  can  be  easily  made 
by  the  older  pupils  for  use  in  the  sand  box. 

Another  important  piece  of  apparatus  for  the  children's  side 
it?  the  see-saw.  These  should  not  be  higher  than  four  feet.  Sev- 
eral can  be  supported  by  one  large  pole  resting  on  large  posts  with 
iron  clamps  holding  the  pole  to  posts.  Each  see-saw  can  be  fixed 
underneath  the  pole  by  means  of  an  iron  clamp  around  the  see- 
saw and  another  around  the  pole,  with  the  two  clamps  united  by  . 
an  iron  link. 

Swings  and  traveling  rings  are  other  important  pieces  of  ap- 
paratus for  the  older  children.  A  number  of  rings  and  swings, 
and  also  two  or  three  teeter  ladders  and  one  horizontal  bar  can 
all  be  arranged  on  one  large  wooden  frame.  The  posts  should  be 
placed  deep  in  the  ground,  and  it  is  always  best  to  place  them 


62  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

in  concrete.  It  pays  in  the  long  run,  probably,  to  have  steel  ap- 
paratus, but  well-built  wooden  apparatus  will  last  a  long  time. 

A  merry-go-round,  slide,  or  giant's  stride,  will  add  immensely 
to  the  popularity  of  the  children's  side  of  a  playground. 

Tlie  Slide.  This  is  deservedly  one  piece  of  apparatus  that  will 
be  in  continuous  use.  An  objection  sometimes  made  to  the  slide 
is  that  it  is  dangerous.  This  need  not  be,  if  two  precautions  are 
taken:  (1)  See  that  the  incline  is  made  of  good,  smooth  timber, 
preferably  maple;  (2)  have  a  railing  to  keep  children  from  falling 
off.  Another  objection  to  the  slide  is  that  it  soils  clothes.  This 
objection,  too,  may  be  removed  by  having  a  good  maple  incline, 
and  by  having  mats  to  sit  on  after  a  rain. 

For  the  larger  girls,  there-  should  be  swings,  traveling  rings, 
tennis,  basket  ball,  and  volley  ball  courts. 

Construction  of  Apparatus.  The  high  cost  of  most  pieces  of 
playground  apparatus  places  it  beyond  the  reach  of  many  schools, 
especially  rural  schools.  But  we  should  bear  in  mind  that  a  suc- 
cessfully supervised  playground  does  not  need  an  abundance  of 
apparatus,  necessarily.  The  two  primary  requisites  are  a  play 
leader,  and  room.  A  back  lot  where  there  is  room  "for  a  baseball 
diamond  will  be  more  attractive  to  boys  than  a  smaller  ground  full 
of  different  pieces  of  apparatus  but  where  there  is  no  room  to  play. 

For  those  pieces  of  apparatus  really  needed  in  most  school  play- 
grounds, two  important  points  must  be  considered:  (1)  The 
cost;  (2)  durability.  Home-made  apparatus  has  the  advantage  of 
cheapness,  but  often  lacks  the  other  essential^  durability.  The 
problem  of  supplying  really  serviceable  and  durable  apparatus  at 
the  lowest  possible  cost  has  been  worked  out  with  great  success  by 
Prof.  C.  C.  Foster  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  and  also  by  Prof.  C.  A. 
Jameson  of  Houston.  By  the  courtesy  of  these  gentlemen  the 
results  of  their  efforts  will  be  published  in  the  forthcoming  bulletin 
on  Playgrounds. 


REFERENCES 

(1)     Athletics 

The  following  numbers  in  the  Spalding  Athletic  Library,  pub- 
lished by  the  American  Sports  Publishing  Company,  New  York, 
will  be  found  very  helpful.  They  may  be  had  for  10  cents  each 
except  where  a,  different  price  is  given : 

No.     12A.     Official  Athletic  Rules. 

No.     87.     An  Athletic'  Primer. 

No.  252.     How  to  Sprint. 

No.  255.     How  to  Run  100  Yards. 

No.  174.     Distance  and  Cross-Country  Running. 

No.  259.     How  to  Become  a  Weight  Thrower. 

No.  246.     Athletic  Training  for  School  Boys. 

No.  231.     Schoolyard  Athletics. 

No.  314.     Girls'  Athletics. 

No.  156.     Athlete's  Guide. 

No..  302.     Y.  M.  C.  A.  Athletic  Handbook. 

No.       2R.     Strokes  and   Science  of  Lawn  Tennis    (25  cents). 

No.       1.     Official  Baseball  Guide. 

No.       2.     Official  Football  Guide. 

No.  324.     How  to   Play   Football. 

No.       2A.     Official  Soccer  Football  Guide. 

No.       4.     Official   Lawn  Tennis  Annual. 

No.       7.     Official  Basketball  Guide. 

No.       7A.     Official  Basketball  Guide  for  Women. 

Other  good  books  on  athletics  are: 

Stecher:  Guide  to  Track  and  Field  Work.  McVey  Publish- 
ing Co.,  Philadelphia  (1229  Archer  Street),  50  cents. 

Clark:  Practical  Track  and  Field  Athletics.  Duffield  &  Co., 
$1.00. 

Lee:  Track  Athletics  in  Detail.  Harper  Bros.,  New  York, 
$1,25. 

Crowther:  Rowing  and  Track  Athletics.  Macmillan  Co.,  New 
York,  $2.00. 

Barbour :  Book  of  School  and  College  Sports.  D.  Appleton  & 
Co.,  New  York,  $1.50. 

Dudley  &  Kellor:  Athletic  Games  for  Women.  Henry  Holt 
&  Co.,  New  York,  $1.25. 

Handbooks  of  the  Public  School  Athletic  Leagues  of  New  York, 
Baltimore,  Newark,  Buffalo,  and  other  cities.  American  Sports 
Publishing  Co.,  New  York,  10.  cents  each. 


64  Bulletin  of  the"  University  of  Texas 

Hofer:  Folk  Games  and  Dances.  The  Dale  Association,  Bos- 
ton, 75  cents. 

Arnold:     Gymnastic  Games  Classified,  ibid.,  $1.00. 
Duryea :    Dance  Songs  of  the  Nations,  ibid.,  $2.00. 

(2)     Miscellaneous  Games 

Bancroft:  Games  for  the  School,  Home,  and  Gymnasium. 
Macmillan  Co.,  New  York,  $1.50.  (A  most  excellent  book.) 

Johnson :  Education  by  Plays  and  Games.  Ginn  &  Co.,  New 
York,  50  cents. 

Johnson :  What  to  Do  at  Recess.  Ginn  &  Co.,  New  York,  25 
cents. 

Bulletin  on  Play  and  Athletics.  Published  by  State  Depart- 
ment of  Education  of  Virginia.  Richmond. 

Steelier :  '  Handbooks  of  Lessons  in  Physical  Training  and 
Games,  three  parts.  McVey  Publishing  Co.,  1229  Archer  Street, 
Philadelphia,  35,  35,  and  50  cents  each. 

Kingsland :  '  Book  of  Indoor  and  Outdoor  Games.  Doubleday, 
Page  &  Co.,  New  York,  $1.50. 

Burchenal :  Folk  Dances  and  Singing  Games.  G.  Schirmer, 
Publisher,  New  York,  $1.50. 

( 3  )     Playgrounds 

The  Pla}-ground,  a.  monthly  magazine.  Published  by  the  Play- 
ground Association  of  America,  No.  1  Madison  Avenue,  New  York. 
$1.00  a  year. 

Mero:  American  Playgrounds.  The  Dale  Association,  Boston, 
$1.50.  (Invaluable.) 

Pamphlets  published  by  the  Playground  Association  of  America,- 
1  Madison  Avenue,  New  York,  5  and  10  cents  each. 

The  following  manufacturers  of  playground  apparatus  will  be 
glad  to  submit  plans  and  prices  for  apparatus. 

A.   G.   Spalding,   Chicopee,   Mass. 

(4)     Physical  Education 

Sargent:     Physical   Education.     Ginn  &   Co.,   $1.50. 

American  Physical  Education  Review,  a  monthly  magazine. 
Published  by  the  Physical  Education  Association  of  America, 
Springfield,  Mass.,  $3.00  a  year. 

Gulick:  Physical  Education  by  Muscular  Exercise.  P.  Blakis- 
ton  &  Sons,  1012  Walnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  75  cents. 

No.  290.  Spalding  Athletic  Library,  Get  Well,  Keep  Well,  10 
cents. 

No.  149.     Spalding  Athletic  Library,  Care  of  the  body,  10  cents. 


Physical  Training  and  Athletics  65 

No.  7R.  Spalding  Athletic  Library,  Physical  Training 
Simplified. 

No.  208.  Spalding  Athletic  Library,  Physical  Education  and 
Hygiene. 

Tvler:  Growth  and  Education.  The  Dale  Association,  Boston, 
$1.50. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


OCTl''1990 


LD  21-100m-9,'48(B399sl6)476 


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